


Redemption

by MegaKat



Series: Atonement & Absolution [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Destiny, Do-Over, F/M, Fluff, Making Babies, Making Love, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Second Chances, Sequel, Smut, Starting Over, The Pull, Time Travel Fix-It, so much fucking smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:07:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 80,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8333920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaKat/pseuds/MegaKat
Summary: The much awaited sequel for Sacrifice! If you don't read that first, you will NOT understand what the hell is going on in this one at all, trust me! So go read that and THEN come back to this one!Oh... and you probably don't have to guess too hard what it means that I'm FINALLY posting this on AO3... YUP. Ladies and gentlemen... I am FINALLY GOING TO UPDATE THIS STORY!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After all this fucking time, I am FINALLY putting this story on AO3. To those of yall that were waiting for it, thank the fans that've been up my ass about it for the last couple of months. Their names escape me at the moment, and my satellite's running slow so I'm not going to take the five minutes to pull those names up on FFN, not when I could spend that five minutes reposting this story and working on the latest chapter. But at any rate, thank them!

Queen Serenity blinked in surprise to see the princess of Mars, her closest friend, running from the Temple of Mars in naught but her robe and bare feet, heading for the outskirts of town. “What in the… REI-CHAN!”

                “FINE!” Rei shouted back at her, giving a little wave as she reassured the queen that she was alright.

                “Majesty?”

                Serenity held up a hand to silence the Saiyan delegate behind her as she studied Sailor Mars and shook her head slightly. “I sure hope she’s really ok,” she muttered to herself. “What is it, Nappa?” She finally asked, giving a heavy sigh.

                “His Highness formally requests an audience with you, today if it wouldn’t be an inconvenience.”

                “Shit,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry, Nappa. Today is booked solid… dear gods, I really don’t mean to seem rude, but…” Serenity gnawed on her lower lip for a moment and fluffed her hair as she thought about trying to squeeze him in sometime that afternoon, but Nappa’s chuckle snapped her out of it.

                “Vegeta told me to assure you that he completely understands if you can’t make time for him today. He knows all too well how precious the time of a ruler is. Tomorrow, perhaps?” Nappa suggested.

                “Dear gods, no… I promised Chibi-Usa some time together tomorrow… tell you what, Nappa. Day after tomorrow sound good? I’ll even see Vegeta before anyone else, you have my solemn promise.” She grinned a little and shook her head. “Though my answer will still be a no.”

                Nappa frowned at that and sighed; Vegeta had seemed far more troubled this morning than usual and he expected an epic explosion out of the crown prince when and if Serenity refused him again. But strangely enough, when he’d predicted a foul mood at the mention of the queen, the man he’d raised like his own son had only looked… sad. And then happy and hopeful. _I’ve heard that a woman can drive a man mad and didn’t believe it… maybe it’s finally happening to the boy,_ he worried to himself.

                “Sere? Sere!?”

                Both Nappa and Serenity snapped around to look at Sailor Mercury, who was glancing back down the main drag, her brows furrowed in deep concern. “Did you see Rei running like the devil was chasing her? She wouldn’t even answer me! I think we should go see what’s up.”

                “No, Ami-chan, she assured me she was just fine. You know Rei as well as I do; if she needs help, she’ll likely ask for it. Oh, damn. My apologies, Nappa. Ami-chan wasn’t in the throne room when I greeted you last time. Ami, this is Nappa, general of the Saiyan armada. Nappa, this is Ami, princess of Mercury and goddess of wisdom.”

                Mercury managed a little smile though she was still worried about Rei, and stepped forward to greet him in Saiyan. “Very pleased to meet you, general. I hope that your stay is pleasant so far?” She looked him up and down with a flick of her eyes and marveled at his size as she drew closer to him, amazed by just how… _huge_ he was. _Dear gods, this warrior could likely step on me on accident and not even notice the blue smear on his boot._ “Damn, you’re big,” she blurted out in Saiyan before she could stop herself.

                “And you’re a midget,” Nappa chuckled. Reaching out, he tipped her chin up to look her in the face and immediately jumped back, his eyes widening at the jolt that ran through him. “Sweet merciful gods…”

                “Oh, _fuck_ ,” Ami groaned.

                “Nappa? Ami? What’s wrong?” Serenity asked slowly. Ami had nearly jumped out of her skin as well, and now the Senshi of water was white as a sheet and looked damned close to fainting. And then Nappa slowly stepped forward… only for Ami to bolt. “Whoa… Nappa…? What did you do to my Ami?” Serenity asked suspiciously. “I’ve _never_ seen her run that fast. _Ever_.”

                “Not yours,” he growled softly. “ _Mine_. Contact her as soon as possible… if she speaks Saiyan, she knows the repercussions of running from a warrior that’s felt the pull for her. Tell her she has a one day head start before I give chase.”

#############################

                Rei plopped down in a patch of bloodstained grass and burst into an uncontrollable bout of tears at the sight of the red stains—too much blood for anyone to have survived the loss of for long—and of a bent and twisted staff lying there as well. “Cracked… she actually cracked the Garnet Orb,” she sobbed. “Dear gods… Setsuna, I’m so sorry… please forgive me for not being on time, I swear—I ran as fast as I could.”

                Every instinct was screaming at her to call the queen immediately, to ask her if she’d felt Setsuna’s death and had her starseed, but Rei knew she couldn’t do it. She was alone in this; she was the only one that remembered out of the Senshi.

But there was no body. No starseed. Only the blood and the broken Time Staff. “Keep it together, Rei,” she whispered. “There has to be an explanation for this. There _has_ to be. Maybe…” Rei couldn’t help but hope that someone had found Setsuna and had her somewhere safe, and that her sister was healing as she thought about it. “Please, Chronos, please…” She prayed, kneeling there with her head bent. “Please, if you can hear me, let your daughter be safe. Or… show me where she is so that I may bury her properly.”

After an hour of waiting with no response in the small fire she’d conjured shortly after praying, Rei gave up and blindly hoped that no news was good news. She’d continue her search for Setsuna between her required duties to Serenity, but something told her that she wouldn’t find a body. She managed a watery smile at that; if Sailor Pluto’s body couldn’t be found, and Serenity wasn’t blowing up her communicator because she’d felt the oldest of them pass, it could only mean that Sets was alive.

############################

Vegeta actually jumped a little in surprise when he was suddenly slammed against a wall, an elbow to his throat and the sound of a woman snarling low in his ear. But when he tilted his head back an inch he relaxed at the sight of Sailor Mars. “Relax, Nappa, Bardock. It’s alright. Take a walk for a minute while I have a little chat with the princess.” He grunted at them once when they wouldn’t move, but once they were a ways down the hall, he shrugged her off and leaned back against the stone. “So… what did I do now?”

“Do you know where Setsuna is? She’s missing, and all I found was blood and her broken Time Staff. Have any reports come in from your men, maybe? Vegeta, I need to know now!” Mars snapped, giving him a little shake. Then she followed his gaze, turning to see Serenity standing there fiddling with her hands as she blushed and looked back and forth between Vegeta and the floor. “Oh. Sorry, Majesty, I was just—“

“Interrogating a guest in your usual manner?” Serenity asked with a little smile. “I assure you that Ami is fine, Rei. That’s actually what I’m here to talk to His Highness about. I’ll handle it.”

“Huh? Ami!? **_What happened to Ami_**!?” She yelled, turning back to Vegeta to shake him once more when she found a shit-eating grin on his face.  “So help me Ares, if you don’t tell me—“ A ball of flame formed in her hand as she spoke, but before she could unleash it Serenity had grabbed her hand from behind. “Sere?”

“Nappa felt the pull for Ami this morning when she was delayed, asking me about you, actually. Which is what I’d like to ask you, since you’re here. Where were you headed in such a hurry?”

“Oh, that…” A brief, nervous look was exchanged with Vegeta, who just shrugged a little, at a loss at how to answer for her. This was her rodeo, not his, and he was _not_ saying anything to the queen that would give away the fact that they’d _just_ gone back in time that morning. “I… I had a vision.” At least it wasn’t a total lie.

“Oh? Was everything alright, Rei-chan?”

“Yeah, it should all pan out fine in the end,” Rei said nonchalantly. “If Vegeta here would cooperate,” she added with a dirty look, knowing that he’d do anything to look good in front of her sister.

“I don’t know anything,” he finally said, “but if I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know, Highness.”

Rei nodded at that and decided to get out of there before Serenity suspected that something was up. “Thank you, Prince Vegeta. Sis, where’s Ami-chan?”

“Hiding,” Serenity purred mysteriously, giving the Senshi of fire a wink. “You won’t have to worry about her; Nappa’s chasing her starting tomorrow, but she’s hiding in a place that will be hard to catch her in.”

“The pool,” Rei snickered. “Good to know if I need to find her. I’ll leave you two to discuss what I know are plans to hook the two of them up. Good luck with that.” Shit, Nappa was going to need it; short of the scenario that had gotten them together the first time, Ami was going to be a tough nut to crack.

“So,” Serenity said once Rei was out of earshot. She looked back to Vegeta and was surprised to see him just watching her with such a violent mix of emotions in his eyes that it made her more than a little uneasy. “Prince Vegeta?”

“Sere?” He breathed, finally dropping that wooden Saiyan mask that he’d had up all morning. The only one that had seen through it was Nappa, but his most trusted general knew better than to pry whenever Vegeta say not to push the issue. He’d looked forward to this moment since he’d woken that morning to find himself back in Crystal Tokyo… but he’d also been terrified of it. Terrified that she’d remember how he’d been the last time, what he’d done to her people, how her home had been destroyed the first time.

“Vegeta… are you alright?” She asked in concern, stepping towards him with only his well-being in her mind. Serenity wasn’t prepared for the crushing hug that he pulled her into, his arms and tail wrapped so tightly around her waist that she was having trouble breathing. “Vegeta?” She squeaked.

“Just… just let me hold you for a moment,” he said unsteadily, burying his face in her hair to breathe in her scent, to assure himself that she was really alive and not still lying dead in her chambers, her body wrapped carefully in clean linen. “Please,” he whispered when she struggled a little.

“What… what’s wrong?” She barely managed through the tight hold.

“I…” Vegeta swallowed and came as close to the truth as he could. “I had a nightmare. In it, you were dead and there was nothing I could do to save you,” he replied, his voice so soft and shaky that she only barely understood him. The prince felt her relax into his embrace at his confession and his grip on her loosened just a fraction. “You killed yourself because you hated me.”

“Oh, Vegeta… I don’t hate you,” she sighed. “Don’t ever think that just because I rejected a proposal of marriage. I just… I need time. And it might be a lot of time, I don’t know. I’m just not ready to remarry.”

“I understand… _r’sha_. I’ll… give you your space if you’d like, but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop asking you to be mine,” he sighed into her hair. “And… I’m glad you’re unharmed. I nearly lost my composure in front of your sister when I saw you standing behind her.”

“Vegeta, that’s actually sweet,” she said gently, looking him in the eye to feel that damnable pull again when released her. Apparently he’d felt it too, because he was tugging her back into his arms and kissing her slowly, lighting a fire in her that she hadn’t felt in over a hundred years.

“My apologies,” Vegeta said quickly when she lightly pushed at his chest after a full minute. He’d felt her return it though, leaning into his embrace for just a handful of moments that had made him purr happily. “I didn’t mean to lose control, Sere.”

“It’s um… alright. Anyway, the reason I sought you out was Ami and Nappa. I thought I’d tell you that Ami is terrified of how damned huge he is… well, that and the fact that she’s never been interested in anyone romantically in her life. So it’s going to be quite the chase. She’s a very fast swimmer, faster than any Saiyan I’ve seen in the water, and she’s hiding in the water section of her temple. Nappa will never catch her.”

“Shit, woman. Nappa can’t even _swim_ ,” Vegeta cackled.

“And Ami can breathe underwater,” Serenity huffed. “Sounds like a Mexican standoff.”

“I’ll speak further with Rei about it since your Inner Senshi are close-knit. Between the two of us we should be able to come up with something.”

“Michiru likes match-making, you know. And she’s closer to Ami than most people know since they share the same type of powers. Maybe she could—“

“No, the princess of Neptune is occupied elsewhere at the moment,” Vegeta sighed, recalling yet another one of his little guilt trips. Thankfully, Michiru had only spoken with Rei when she’d remembered being killed and had suddenly woken up in her bed as if nothing had happened. Damned ESP. At least she hadn’t said a word to Haruka, though Michiru had said that her lover seemed to suspect that something was up. Rei had put the goddess of the ocean on duty, keeping watch over another Senshi that would need a bit of a push to take her mate. “Don’t ask,” Vegeta said quickly when Serenity opened her mouth to question him. “Just trust me and don’t ask, _r’sha_. So… I don’t suppose you’d have supper with me tonight in my chambers?” He asked, hoping not only for a yes, but for a change of subject.

“Um… I’d better not,” Serenity whispered bashfully, looking at her shoes. “Haruka would have a fit, and since she’s on my guard detail tonight…”

“Tomorrow, maybe?”

“I’ll… uh… I’ll think about it, Prince Vegeta.” The queen felt bad when his eyes looked sad and disappointed, and she sighed guiltily before leaning in to peck him on the cheek. “I really will think about it.”

“I suppose I’ll be waiting with bated breath, then,” he replied as smoothly as he could, grasping her hand to kiss the knuckles. “I’ll be seeing you again tomorrow, Sere. Inform me if there’s any change on Ami’s location.”

 

######################################

 

                Drawn inexplicably to the marble temple near the center of the city, Turles studied and appreciated its architecture before walking in through the doorless entrance. “Hello?” He grunted in Solarian. The temple seemed empty at first glance, but he could sense the energy signatures of several people, most of them towards the back near the altar.

                That odd feeling of being drawn got stronger as he continued, and no longer fighting it, he let it guide his feet towards a door as he passed what looked like several priestesses, dressed in see-through white shifts. Normally he would have appreciated their beauty, at least on a carnal level, but something about that door had him unable to focus on anything but finding out what was on the other side.

                “Hey, you can’t go in there,” a brunette said softly, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. “That’s the inner cloister.”

                Turles blinked and looked at her, shaking his head to indicate that he didn’t understand. He pulled out translator that Raditz had given him and switched it on. “I only speak a little Solarian.”

                “Ah, sorry.” The priestess repeated her previous words, and gave him a reassuring smile when he scowled at her. “Only priestesses of the love goddess are allowed in there. Sorry.”

                “But… but I have to…” Turles placed his hand on the door and closed his eyes in concentration. “I was _drawn_ to this door, woman, and I don’t know why, but I need to know what’s in there.”

                 “Oh… so you’re…” The priestess gave him a funny little smile and shook her head. “Never mind. Just hold on a moment and I’ll check with the high priestess, ok?”

                Turles smirked when she scurried off, but didn’t bothering lowering her voice; she obviously didn’t know a thing about superior Saiyan hearing.

                “He’s here, he’s actually here! Rei was right!” She said hurriedly to an older woman, dressed much more modestly, who was standing behind the altar.

                “You doubted a vision that the goddess of passion had?” The high priestess snorted with amusement. “Man the fort for me child, I’ll take him in.”

                “So,” Turles grunted, when the older woman approached him, “some goddess foretold my coming?”

                “In more ways than one,” the lady snorted, chuckling as she knocked twice on the door before turning the knob and ushering him in.

                “Huh?”

                “This is the temple of the goddess of love and lust, boy. I don’t know about you Saiyans, but our goddesses are very real and tangible. The inner cloister, this area of the temple, is the goddess’s home, her living space.”

                Turles looked around and honestly didn’t see anything homey about it at all, and said so.

                “You have to go further in, boy. This is just the entrance, the foyer,” the woman chuckled. “Don’t be nervous,” she teased, “go on in and worship the goddess properly,” she added with a wink.

                Turles froze at that phrase, as a flash of a woman’s voice came to him, a light and beautiful voice, speaking similar words. And with it came an image of a perfect, lightly tanned body beneath him, the memory of hearing her moan his name. “M—Minako,” he whispered softly.

                “Well, your memories are coming back an awful lot faster than Rei said they would,” the woman said warmly, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rei said that while she might remember bits and pieces of you, she wouldn’t remember anything else. The goddess of time ensured it.”

                “I… I don’t understand,” Turles said, rubbing his forehead.

                “You will,” she replied gently. “And when you do, don’t breathe a word of what happened, not if you truly love her.”

                “Who are you?” Turles asked, unable to hide his growing confusion.

                “My name is Michiru,” she replied with a little smirk. “The goddess of the ocean. Now go on in. We’ll have someone bring supper in a few hours.”

                Before he could ask another question she slipped out the door, leaving him alone in the cream-colored foyer. “Well, shit. No point standing around, I suppose.” Turles went through the next door and found himself in a large living room, but contrary to the status of the inhabitant, it appeared to be furnished for comfort, rather than rank.

                “These are my private chambers, the inner sanctum,” a woman’s voice— ** _that_** voice—said sharply from his right. “I don’t know how you got in here, but—“

                She stopped talking when Turles turned and looked her dead in the eye, flooding her with a wave of déjà vu as she felt a strange tugging in her belly. “Who are you?” She whispered, backing up as he approached her. Minako gasped when her back met the wall and he quickly closed the gap, pressing her against it.

                And then he kissed her without warning and her body relaxed against him as if it knew him well. Mina moaned at a flash of memory and another wave of déjà vu; him kissing her like this, passionately and slow… “Slow,” she whispered, breaking away. “I—I remember you saying that…” She also remembered the way he’d whispered it in her ear as he’d filled her, swamping her with a level of pleasure she’d never felt before… filling her with more than just his body, in fact. Filling her a love that she could feel even though it wasn’t her own. But… how?

                “You remember me,” he groaned, dipping his mouth to her neck. “Good,” he whispered between kisses, “because I need you, Minako. I need you now.”

                “But who are—“ her words were cut off by a short kiss.

                “Later, Mina. Later. We’ll talk all you want later,” he promised as he yanked her dress down her shoulders, letting it pool around her feet. Turles wasn’t sure if it was him or her that unfastened his fatigues, but before he could even think about what he was doing he was inside of her, moaning her name as he bit down on her shoulder. Her cry of pleasure spurred him on, and he gave her everything he had, body, heart and soul, focused only on making her cling to him as she came.

                That first orgasm brought another flash of memory for her, and she cried out his name in ecstasy as he thrust into her harder, immediately taking her up again to tighten around him and whimper in complete surrender. “I’m yours, Turles,” she gasped, not even sure where those words had come from or why she was saying them; they simply felt **right**.                  

                “That’s right, Mina, you’re _mine_ ,” Turles growled possessively, finally letting himself take his pleasure. “Oh, I’m not done with you yet,” he chuckled darkly when she tried to slide to the floor; he kept her legs wrapped firmly around him as he hardened inside of her once more. “But I will let my goddess choose the venue this time. I’d like to worship her properly.”

                It was all coming back to him now in bits and pieces, and while he couldn’t think through the haze of lust overcoming him in order to put those pieces together, he knew damned well who she was and what she was. But most importantly, she was his again, and he was going to make this second chance count.                                                            


	2. Chapter 2

Vegeta huffed impatiently as his scouter went off. But when he pushed the button he chuckled at the sight of a blushing Sailor Mars. “He’s not here, woman.”

                “I… I know… it’s just…” Rei sighed and looked away, unable to believe that she was confiding in Vegeta. “I saw him with another woman last night.” She certainly didn’t expect to see and hear the prince barking out a harsh laugh, and wondered what in the hell was so funny.

                “He couldn’t even get it up,” Vegeta laughed, slapping his knee at the memory. “Apparently the two of you made sure that the bond was as strong as a real one despite the effects of time travel. Heh… tell me, woman… were you broken and bleeding before the jump back through time? I can only imagine how much fucking was required to make the bond **_that_** damned strong.”

                “I wouldn’t have been able to walk,” she admitted, “and I was weak from the blood loss to my shoulder; Raditz, too. So… are you joking…? He couldn’t…?”

                “Not once, not with **_any_** of the women he’s tried to conquer since the time shift. And trust me, there’s been quite a few. He’s slept in the barracks for the last two nights, now. Woman… I bow to your power over that space whore’s cock; you must really be something to turn him into the pitiful, whimpering pile of crap he’s become.”

                “Damn… I just might owe him a kid,” she whispered.

                “Woman, as backed up as his sperm is, he’ll likely knock you up with triplets when you two consummate the bond.”

                “Dear gods, no. One child of his would be more than enough.” Rei sighed, knowing she wouldn’t get a bit of sleep that night, but she was going to try anyway. “I’ll see you in the morning, Vegeta.”

                “You’ll see him as well, woman. You have my word on it.”

############################################

Mina giggled when she tried to roll out of the bed and was immediately snagged by a tail around her thigh, which was dragging her right back to the sexy Saiyan male lying there, seemingly asleep. “Turles, I have to get to work!” She squealed when he suddenly rolled on top of her and nipped at her fresh mark.

                Over the course of the last two days, Turles had remembered everything, and he simply couldn’t get over how wonderful and different this Mina was from the woman he’d known in the alternate universe. She was the same in a lot of ways, yes; but she was unafraid of everything, and despite her sexual knowledge, she was very, very innocent in many aspects.

                She was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

                “Nope. You’re mine, woman,” he teased, giving her shoulder a playful nip. “So… you ready for me to get you fattened up, yet?”

                She gawked at him momentarily as she recalled him saying that to her once already, then smacked his shoulder. “Fat wife does not make more Saiyans any better than sexy wife, mister caveman.”

                “Oh, so you’re prepared to bear my warrior seed?” He teased, rolling on top of her. “Lie still and I’ll give you as much of it as you want,” Turles purred in her ear.

                Minako smirked up at him and batted her eyelashes enticingly, even giving him the pouty lip for full effect. She wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed with him all day long, but she still had her responsibilities to Serenity. “But Turles, I have my duties to the queen. I have to be in the throne room for the prince’s proposal.” She frowned in concern when his head snapped up and he grimaced, the tail around her thigh fluffing out in agitation. “Turles? Sugar? You ok?”

                “No, I’m fine. I need to be there as well, in fact. Come on, let’s get dressed, my sexy little goddess. I guess I’ll have to wait to have babies falling out of your ass.”

###########################################

From her place behind the throne, Rei carefully watched the Saiyans start to file in, and gave a little start the moment she spotted a long-haired Saiyan coming in right behind the crown prince. “Raditz,” she whispered to herself. She jumped when he looked up, clearly he’d heard her and she’d forgotten about that damned Saiyan hearing.

Completely unable to help herself, Rei stepped out from behind her designated place as Usagi’s bodyguard, and couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He wasn’t even looking at her, he was scanning the room for threats to his Highness, just as she should have been doing for Usa.

Prince Vegeta blinked when he saw Sailor Mars step out, her eyes locked onto his bodyguard, and a tiny smirk played on his lips. “He came quietly,” he said, ignoring the looks he and Rei were both getting as she slowly approached them.

 _Oh, he’ll come alright. But not quietly._ “You’re not going to flip out are you?” Rei asked under her breath.

Vegeta’s eyes softened just a little as he shook his head slightly. “Don’t concern yourself for a moment. Now… I believe a certain guard of mine has caught your attention?”

Rei wasn’t looking at him anymore; she was looking at Raditz, who’d been ignoring the conversation since he couldn’t understand it anyway. His job was watching his liege’s back, and that’s what he was doing. She nodded slightly. “He has. _Again_ ,” she muttered, so low that only Vegeta heard and understood her.

“Raditz,” Vegeta barked out in Saiyan, “your services for the week are no longer required. Consider yourself on leave.”

“But—why, Highness!?” Raditz protested. “What have I done wrong?” He growled as he felt someone grip his chin and turn his head, and prepared to rip off that porcelain hand until he locked his gaze with a pair of amethyst eyes and felt a jerk in his stomach. “Oh,” he breathed softly.

Rei smirked when he just gaped at her. “And for once in your life, you’re not running your mouth,” she chuckled. “That’s a first. So…” When he just continued to look at her in sheer surprise, she kissed him soundly, drawing gasps from her queen and all of her sisters. She didn’t care though, they’d get their memories back eventually; the only thing in that room that mattered one bit was the warrior whose lips she’d just claimed.

Raditz blinked at her in surprise when she pulled away, and felt the strongest wave of déjà vu he’d ever felt in his life. “I know you,” he muttered in confusion.

“Rei, if this is going to hold up my schedule, please take it outside,” Serenity chuckled.

“I’ll stand in for her, Ouhi,” Sailor Jupiter offered. “Go get laid, Mars.”

“She won’t be standing at all when Bardock shows up,” Vegeta whispered under his breath.

“Where’s Nappa?” Rei asked just as quietly out of the corner of her mouth.

“Outside,” the prince responded, “I’ve got that one covered; I’m planning to drag your sister kicking and screaming out of that pool, then I’m going to dump her right into Nappa’s waiting arms.”

Rei grinned at the thought of Vegeta and the seven-foot Saiyan general ambushing her quiet, five-foot sister. “Oh, I want it on video,” she whispered before grabbing Raditz’s hand and giving it a tug. “Come on, big man,” she ordered.

Raditz merely nodded; he didn’t understand a word of what she was saying, but he was more than happy to follow her wherever she wanted to go. He’d felt the pull! He’d actually felt it! The long-haired warrior worried briefly about his ability to perform, though; what was he going to do if he couldn’t get it up!? He’d tried everything and many different women over the last few days, but when it came time to hit a home run, he’d choked every single time.

Then she paused for a moment and turned to him in the hallway, flashing him a smile and licking her lips.

He felt it move.

Hallelujah and praise the gods!

They wound up in a room draped in red and black, and judging from her uniform, this was her suite. He sniffed the air just to be sure, and decided he was correct. For a split second he wondered just how in the hell he’d gotten this damned lucky, but his brain shut down when he watched her detransform.

Rei had seen this coming, and figured she’d keep it simple enough for him, she didn’t want even a flicker of confusion between them despite the language barrier. So she’d only put on a set of matching black bra and panties that morning, one of her sexy see-through sets. And when he just stared at her and practically drooled, but stayed in place at the door, she chuckled and shook her head. “Sweet Ares, Raditz, you were all over me a lot faster the last time you saw me for the first time. What are you waiting for, an invitation?”

He licked his lips as she slowly lifted one leg to climb onto the bed, showing him a hint of pink through the see-through lace panties. “Woman, you’d better not just be teasing me,” he purred.

Sitting on the bed, her legs folded beneath her, Rei finally smiled and beckoned him over when he just continued to watch her. “That’s more like it, big man,” she chuckled. But when he didn’t climb on the bed with her, she realized he was waiting for some sort of permission. “You know,” she whispered, “my head’s at the right level, and you wouldn’t let me do this on the last night.” Rei lightly ran her fingertips over the spandex that covered him and looked up at him, licking her lips. “Would you like me to?”

He didn’t understand her words, but he put two and two together and nodded emphatically. Would he like a blowjob? YES! Gods, did a bear shit in the woods!? Of course he wanted that sexy little mouth wrapped around his cock! The moment she pulled at his armor, Raditz yanked it over his head and tossed it aside. But before she could remove the cloth that covered him, he stopped her for a moment and merely looked at her, his eyes narrowing at a strange wave of recognition and a flash of deep emotion. “I do know you, don’t I, woman?”

Rei knew what he was saying even though she didn’t understand the words, and she smiled up at him lovingly when he cupped her face in his hand. “You have no clue how much I’ve missed you, _r’sha_.”

Raditz nearly moaned at the sound of that last word coming out of her mouth; it had been in Saiyan, and despite his manwhoring days, he’d always dreamed of hearing a woman say it to him with such tenderness. “No,” he whispered when she pulled at his spandex. He immediately climbed onto the bed with her and wrapped his tail around her waist as he kissed her passionately, moaning happily as she returned it and bunched her small fingers in his hair. “Mine,” he sighed. “All mine.” He nipped at her lower lip then as his hands wandered her curves.

Rei nipped at his shoulder in response and offered hers as well. “Yours,” she whispered. “I’m yours, Raditz.”

He raked his teeth over the pale skin, tugging down her bra strap, but slowly pulled away before the temptation became too great. “Not yet. I’ll bite you when you’re coming, woman. Not before.” With that, he skillfully unhooked the front clasp of her bra with his teeth and chuckled at her gasp as he took a nipple between his lips and sucked. “Feel good, woman?” He purred, moving his hips when her hand trailed down to stroke his groin. “Getting impatient?”

Rei understood his tone and pulled at his spandex shorts. “Yes,” she whispered, “I am.” She used her powers to heat her hands, and smirked when he groaned in response, thrusting against her. “It’ll feel better with skin on skin,” she chuckled as she pulled down the spandex and took him in hand.

Raditz immediately rolled on top of her as his inner Saiyan took over and tore off her panties before slipping his fingers into her, relishing the low moan that came out of her throat as she stroked him harder. Then he suddenly stopped when his fingers moved deeper and met resistance, his eyes widening in surprise. He immediately withdrew his hand and studied her carefully. “You’re a virgin.”

“Damn it, Raditz, don’t stop,” she snapped. “It’s not like you gave a shit about my virginity before.”

He shook his head a little in wonder as he trailed his hand back down and thrust his fingers into her slowly, turning her glare into a glazed, half-lidded gaze of desire. “Yes?” He asked softly in Saiyan, still reeling from the fact that this stunningly beautiful virgin was practically throwing herself at him—pull or no pull, it wasn’t what he had expected. At all.

“Yes,” Rei whimpered back in Saiyan, arching into his hand as her own began to move once more over his arousal. She found her hands pinned behind her head though, and Raditz silently shaking his head as he refused his own pleasure. The princess of Mars knew him all too well, and gave him a tiny nod. He wanted to come inside of her and not against her thigh or the sheets, and he wouldn’t even do that much until she’d had her pleasure first.

It was good to know that some things hadn’t changed between them.

“Bite me,” she whispered when his thumb feathered over her clit, his fingers still thrusting into her slowly while his mouth suckled and worshipped her breasts. “Please, Raditz… please, _r’sha_ … I need you now, _please_.”

He understood her desperate tone if not her words, and whispered something in Saiyan over one of her breasts before latching onto her shoulder lightly, not even biting down hard enough to bruise. But he found himself groaning as she offered it to him and threaded her soft hands through his thick hair as she moaned his name, lifting her hips as she tightened around him slightly. “That’s it, woman. Let go, come for me,” he moaned, nipping at her shoulder once more, his canines just barely drawing a hint of blood from her.

Rei whimpered at that hint of pain-laced pleasure and cried out as her hips bucked and her senses were flooded with an intense pleasure that started low in her stomach and erupted like a liquid fire in her veins. She felt him truly bite down then, and she exploded into an immediate, second climax as his fingers continued to thrust into her, her low moaning of his name mixing in with his primal growl of possession. “Please, Raditz, please—“

She felt him freeze then, and felt his shock through the half-bond as he suddenly remembered her. “Talk later,” she whispered before pulling his mouth to hers. “I need you now, _r’sha_ ; please take me.”

“Anything for you, my love,” he whispered in Saiyan as he lifted her hips and pressed against her entrance. “Just relax, Rei. Gods, I love you so much,” he purred in her ear as he pushed into her just a little and immediately met resistance in the form of simple tension. “Love you, don’t want to hurt you… relax so I can take you, beautiful.”

“Just do it,” she breathed with a touch of trepidation; she knew about the pain that was coming, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. “Do it quick, Raditz, reforge the pairbond.” Rei squeaked and whimpered as he did as he’d been told and thrust into her forcefully, burying himself in her to the hilt quickly despite the tight resistance he’d met the moment he’d moved to take her.

“I’m sorry,” he groaned against her mark, feeling her pain through the bond. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he whispered over and over as he stroked her hair soothingly and raked his teeth over her mark in an effort to give her some pleasure.

“It’s fine.” Rei chuckled a little then and nipped at his bare shoulder. “Hell, I’m sure some part of your perverted mind is geeking the fuck out about taking the same woman’s virginity twice.”

“Now that you mention it,” Raditz snickered, “it is pretty fucking awesome. Care to do it a third time?”

“Hell no. You think I want to get my cherry popped three times by that monster Saiyan cock? You’re out of your mind, Raddy!”

“Mmm… I missed you calling me that without even realizing it,” he sighed happily as he moved a little to test the waters. He stopped immediately when she flinched, though, and rested himself comfortably on top of her. It was going to be a long wait for her to adjust, just like the first time, and he knew it.

“What?” Rei asked when he suddenly grew serious.

“I told you I’d find you.”

Rei smiled and nipped at his shoulder once more, not yet tempted to fully bite him and unleash his beast. “I know. I noticed that you were with Vegeta in the throne room and not outside. You and Nappa had switched around from the first time.”

“See? I knew. Even without my memories, I knew I had to find you,” he whispered tenderly, resting his forehead to hers. “Even my body knew it; I haven’t been able to touch another woman since the time jump.” Raditz was suddenly snickering again as he felt her bra against his hand. “My sexy little temptress. You’re lucky I didn’t nail you to the wall with my cock when you detransformed.”

“Puh-lease, Raddy. You were too busy wiping the drool from your chin and picking said chin off of the floor. You couldn’t believe for a moment that a woman as hot as myself was actually offering your ugly ass her body,” she teased.

“Woman, my face is a work of fucking art,” Raditz growled. He knew she was teasing, though, so he managed a tiny smirk for her benefit. “And after I take my pleasure, I’ll be framing it with your legs.”

#####################################

                “Prince Vegeta,” Serenity greeted him, giving him a respectful Saiyan nod.

                “Queen Serenity,” he replied softly, bowing to her slightly. “I’m here to ask you to pairbond with me, as you already know. I felt the pull for you.”

                “I know that, too,” Serenity responded carefully, feeling a blush creeping into her cheeks under his unwavering stare. “But… I’m afraid that I’ll have to decline, Highness; I’m simply not ready to wed again.”

                Vegeta knew what was coming and was fully ready for it… and his beast got conked roughly on the head the very moment it rose up in fury at being rejected. “I understand your position, Majesty,” he rumbled softly. “But it doesn’t mean I won’t give up asking.”

                The queen seemed slightly amused by this and sighed softly. “So I suppose I should expect another requested audience for tomorrow?” She shook her head and chuckled when Vegeta slightly inclined his head. “Well, never let it be said that you Saiyan warriors aren’t persistent.”

####################################

                Nappa jumped slightly and opened his eyes, coming out of his meditation the moment he heard a splash, and blinked in surprise at the sight of Ami’s head breaking the surface. “Are you coming out?”

                The hope in his voice made her sigh, but Ami shook her head. “No. I don’t want to mate with anyone, don’t you understand that, big guy?”

                “I don’t suppose a heartfelt plea would change your mind,” he rumbled, looking away from her sadly. Hell, he’d only asked nicely over the last four days whenever she’d come up to do laps or ask a handmaiden to find her a book. That reminded him of something, and he reached into his tail belt. “I brought you this, Blue. I… I thought you might like it.”

                He’d even had it laminated so she could read it underwater. Ami found herself swimming towards him, then suddenly stopped when he licked his lips and his tail unwrapped, swishing behind him slowly. “Not falling for it,” she snorted. “Nice try though, I have to give you an A for effort.”

                “Just take the damned book,” Nappa growled in frustration, fighting his beast tooth and nail to keep from floating towards her with his ki to yank her out of the water. “I won’t try to claim you this time, I swear it on my tail.”

                Ami swam forward very slowly, hesitating just as she got within grabbing range. But when he didn’t snag her and drag her out of the pool, she continued warily to the edge and took the offered book. “Thank you,” she whispered as she locked eyes with him and shivered involuntarily.

                “Blue… if you want to come out and just sit with me for a while…?”

                There it was again, that lost puppy-dog hope in his eyes and voice. “Better not,” she replied softly. It was then that he moved quickly, and before Ami could get away, he was bending down and kissing her, his massive hand fisted in her hair.

                Nappa inwardly grinned when she leaned into it for several moments, but released her as soon as she tried to pull away. The look of betrayal in her eyes brought that grin to the surface, though. “I said I wouldn’t try to claim you, Blue. I never said anything about not kissing you,” he chuckled.

                “I suppose a kiss is proper payment for a book I’ve never read before,” she allowed with a deep blush, pushing off of the edge of the pool and out of reach.

                “Well… then I’m sure I could find plenty of books to trade for kisses,” Nappa said happily. “Tell me, Blue… do you read Saiyan glyphs?” A little nod made him beam ecstatically. “I’ll bring you another one tomorrow, then.”

                Another little nod, and Ami was sinking back to the bottom of the pool, blushing at the prospect of more kisses in exchange for reading materials, her mind and body still reeling from the one he’d just given her. She’d never been kissed like that in all her life; it had made her feel warm and needy, and she could practically taste his desire for her on his lips when she’d returned it briefly. _Damn it,_ she mentally whined, _I think I might actually like him._

#####################################

                “Goddess?”

                Makoto ignored the acolyte trying to summon her as she ducked and dodged her opponent in the ring, their knives clashing briefly a few moments later.

                “Goddess?” The acolyte tried again. “There’s a Saiyan warrior requesting to spar with any worthy opponent available.”

                “Hah!” Mako barked, sidestepping the man she was sparring with, and pressed her blade lightly to his throat. “I win,” she chuckled. “You held out a lot longer than last time, though. You’re getting much better, Ken.”

                “Thank you, goddess,” he replied, handing over the knife she’d lent him.

                “Not a problem. Now go do some katas and walk to cool down. You don’t want to wind up with a cramp.” The goddess of thunder turned to the young woman waiting patiently and nodded. “Tell him that I’d be more than happy to shit-kick him for a few minutes,” she chuckled as she closed her eyes and flowed into a kata that would keep her muscles loose.

                She felt a presence beside her a short time later and smiled, not ceasing her slow movements or even opening her eyes. “You can join in if you’d like, Saiyan. I find this kata to be very relaxing.”

                “I came to spar,” a low voice rumbled to her right. The words were translated by the acolyte and Mako frowned.

                “So you did. But this is my temple and I won’t be bossed inside of it. You can either wait or join me, it’s up to you. What’s your name?”

                “Bardock,” he replied after the young woman in the green robe translated for him.

                “And I’m Makoto.” She opened her eyes as she performed the last of the exercise, and turned to find the most handsome Saiyan warrior she’d ever seen. A blush crept over her face as she couldn’t stop herself from checking him out, and Bardock smirked knowingly at her assessment.

                He knew how good he looked and was used to women admiring his muscular form, but never since his first mate had he actually appreciated another woman’s body in return. “Spar, Koto?” He asked in Solarian.

                Makoto blushed again at the way he said her name, the thick Saiyan accent making it sound exotic. And then it happened—they made eye contact and both flinched at the sudden tugging in their stomachs. “What the…”

                “Are you alright?” The acolyte asked in Saiyan.

                “Felt the pull,” Bardock replied huskily.

                “The what?” Mako asked when her disciple translated.

                “The pull,” the younger woman explained, her eyes still wide in surprise at this turn of events. “You felt a tugging sensation in your stomach or chest? It means that you’re his mate.”

                “The fuck I am,” she snarled out in Saiyan, followed by a tirade of all the bad words she knew in his language.

                “At least you know all the curses,” he mused aloud, his lips twitching up in a smirk. “Spar?” He asked again in Solarian, his eyes roaming freely over her body now, enjoying the generous curves of her breasts and hips; very little of her was covered by the sports bra and tiny pair of shorts she was wearing, and he felt himself growing aroused for the first time since before Romayna had died.

                “My lady, I would advise against it,” the acolyte said quickly. “To fight an interested Saiyan warrior is to say, ‘take me if you can.’ And if you lose, he will.”

                “No,” she replied to him in Saiyan.

                Rolling her eyes at Bardock when he growled at her, Mako’s aid placed herself between the two them. “I understand your frustration, warrior, but the goddess has declined to fight you… for obvious reasons.”

                “She’s my mate,” he said roughly, “and I want her now.”

                Makoto just watched them blankly as Bardock and the acolyte got into a heated discussion in Saiyan, and the goddess only understood the swearing and the body language and nothing else.

                Finally, the acolyte threw her hands in the air in exasperation and turned to face the goddess. “Goddess, he has agreed to court you, but he refuses to back off any further than that. He said that he’d follow you like a shadow wherever you went if you declined to allow him to do so.”

                “And what does courting entail among the Saiyans?” She asked curiously, folding her arms over her chest.

                “Spending time together, mostly. He’d be respectful of most boundaries that you set for him, but he will require casual contact. Just touching, kissing, that sort of thing. But most Saiyans don’t kiss, so…” She shrugged. “He’ll also be hanging around you like, all the time. But like I said; you set boundaries and he’ll likely respect them.”

                “Does he speak Solarian at all?” Mako inquired.

                Bardock shook his head the moment the question was translated. “If she lets me perform a courtship mark on her, we’ll be able to understand each other. Tell her that in this case, I won’t take it farther than just the bite.”

                Mako grimaced and huffed. “Not a chance, Saiyan. I suggest you pick up a translating device. And if you try to fucking kiss me, I’ll saw your balls off with a dull knife.”

                “Sounds kinky,” he replied smugly.

############################################

                Ami surfaced in the pool and blinked in surprise at the total lack of hulking, scary-looking Saiyan in the room. “Nappa?” She asked softly. “Hm… maybe I’m safe to get out,” she mused aloud. Then she spotted a wrapped bundle at the edge of the pool and swam close enough to make out a bouquet of what looked like… “Where in the hell did he find Egyptian water lilies?” She breathed in wonder, gliding closer to the edge.

                She took in the scent of the powder-blue flowers and smiled slowly at the sight of a new book as well. “If you’re in here spying on me, thank you for the gifts, Nappa.” Hm, it looked like she owed him a kiss when she saw him again. Ami blushed at the thought before she decided that she was truly alone in the room and climbed out of the pool so she could put the flowers in a vase. “For a scary-looking Saiyan, he seems almost… _sweet_.”

                From a corner that was so small he shouldn’t have been able to squeeze into, Nappa smiled and couldn’t stop his inner beast from purring at the sound of her happy with him. He’d bring her more presents tomorrow; he’d had more books laminated and they were put aside on his desk so that he could give her one every day. The books were easy, but he’d had to really hunt to find those lilies. “The Temple of Jupiter has a large garden,” he rumbled to himself. “Maybe the thunder goddess can help me out.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What is up with all you Saiyans and me and my sisters!? First the queen and Mina, then Rei loses her fucking mind over Raditz, and now Ami! Not to mention that guy following me everywhere I go!” Makoto raged, pointing to the quiet warrior behind her as she glared up at the seven-foot Saiyan in front of her.

                Nappa merely shrugged and sighed. “I felt the pull for her. She’s my mate… and I’d like to court her. But… she’s a little terrified of me,” he admitted sadly. “And… well… I thought you might help me since you have such a nice garden. As for Bardock and the rest, they all felt the pull, too. He’s following you because he wants to court you, but you’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t want him to.”

                “Damn right, I don’t! I don’t have time for it, nor do I want it!” She couldn’t see the flicker of sadness in Bardock’s eyes as the piece in his ear translated for him, and he kicked absently at the pebbles on the ground below him.

                “Makoto!”

                Everyone’s heads snapped around at that, and they all blinked at the aqua-haired goddess of the ocean. “What?” Mako ground out tersely at the sound of disapproval in her sister’s voice.

                “You’re being a bitch, _that’s_ what! For the last three days, Bardock has done everything you’ve asked of him, has stayed out of your way, and you haven’t so much as given him a scrap of gratitude or affection. I’m ashamed of you, honestly. And then Nappa comes here, _begging_ you to help him, and you automatically shoot him down! What in the fuck is wrong with you?”

                “I don’t like this, Mich. Not one bit. It’s like they’re subtly trying to take over the planet. And we all know Saiyans have a tendency to usurp leadership on all the planets they’ve landed on,” Jupiter replied flatly. “So I’m not buying it, not for a moment.”

                “The pull isn’t something that can be helped, sister. It can’t be planned or anything like that. It only happens when a Saiyan meets someone of the opposite sex that they’re ridiculously compatible with, and it’s nearly impossible for them to stay away until they’re accepted by their intended mate. Saiyans are also attracted to ridiculous amounts of power, and we goddesses have plenty of it. It was the perfect combination for most of us to wind up with Saiyan husbands.”

                The goddess of the ocean sighed when Mako crossed her arms stubbornly and shook her head. “Be nice to Bardock, or I’ll tell on you,” she threatened smugly. “You think _he’s_ annoying? I’ll tell on you to Mina and Rei… since their mates are his sons. You’ll have the four of them so far up your ass that you’ll be able to taste their shoes.”

                Jupiter sagged a little at that. “You suck, you know that?”

                “I try,” Michiru chuckled. “Now… Nappa, come with me. I believe I have anything and everything you’re trying to find. Bardock? I expect you to come find me if Makoto continues to be a bitch.”

                Bardock grinned at that and nodded emphatically, stepping forward to invade Mako’s personal space just a little. “Hi,” he said in Solarian, waggling his eyebrows. Mako let out a little scream of frustration before turning on her heels and leaving, slamming the door to her living quarters behind her, and everyone left behind chuckled at her reaction.

                “She’ll be nice from now on,” Michiru assured the scarred commander. “Give her a couple hours to cool down, though; she _hates_ it when someone pulls rank on her.”

                “So I’ve noticed,” Bardock replied in amusement. “And thank you, Lady. Your intervention is very much appreciated.”

                “It wouldn’t hurt you to also give her some courting gifts, Bardock. Mako loves roses, for a start. Why don’t you come with us?”

                He shrugged and nodded; his intended was likely to stay locked up in there for a couple hours and Bardock wasn’t about to turn down a genuine offer of help.

                The walk wasn’t far, and Nappa immediately beamed when Michiru led him behind her temple and he laid eyes on her expansive water garden. “You’re welcome to come whenever you want to, both of you. Just try not to pick it all dry,” Michiru said with a soft smile. “And if you see Haruka, bug out quickly. She’s still tripping about Rei kissing Raditz in the throne room. A total Saiyan stranger, and she laid one on him.” She laughed at that and shook her head. “It actually managed to stun her into speechlessness, and her first word after about five minutes was ‘huh?’ It was fucking priceless.”

                “Uranus doesn’t trust Saiyans?” Nappa asked in surprise. “She’s the most like us, frankly.”

                “No. Ruka doesn’t trust **_men_**. So watch your ass if she catches you around my temple. She can’t touch Raditz now that Rei’s mated to him, but you bachelors are fair game as an outlet for her fury.”

###################################

                Mina answered her bedroom door in the nude when there was a knock, and she lifted a questioning brow when she found Rei on the other side of it. “Sister? What’s wrong?”

                Rei blushed at the sight of a very naked Turles sprawled out comfortably on his back, his cock standing at full attention. “Damn. Are they all that big? … did I just say that out loud?”

                “Yup. You lost control on your inner voice,” Mina giggled. “And from what I hear, yes they are. But what brings you? I was kind of… you know. In the middle of something?”

                “So I guessed,” Rei replied, swallowing at the sight of Turles once more, who leaned up on his elbows to grin and wink at the goddess of passion.

                “Want to join in?” He teased.

                “Nooooooo… I’m good. Thanks. Mina, I need your help. I really think that Setsuna’s alive somewhere, but the sacred fire is coming up empty whenever I ask it. I don’t know what to do, and I thought that if we maybe combined our powers…? I’d ask for the rest of our sisters to help, too, but…”

                “But we’re the only ones that remember so far,” Mina said understandingly. “I can probably do it, Rei, but… you know how my powers work.” When Rei sighed and nodded, Mina grew thoughtful. “A virgin sacrifice would probably do it,” she said slowly, “especially virginity given in love. Hm… a virgin’s first kiss is awfully powerful, too. As well as a virgin’s first orgasm. Yeah, any of those three would likely give me enough power to locate Sets.”

                Rei blinked for a moment, staring blankly as she tried to figure out where in the hell they would find… Then she suddenly grinned. “Chibi-Usa.”

                ##############################

                “Yeah?” Vegeta grumbled as he answered his scouter.

                “Hey, I need you to find Broly for us. You said that he remembered everything, right? Well, Minako and I have figured out a way to get Usa alone with him without the risk of being interrupted. You in?”

                “Gods yes!” Vegeta chuckled. “That brat has buried his head in my brown eye since the time shift! By all means, yank his hairy head out of my ass, wash the stench of my shit off of him, and throw the princess onto his waiting cock.”

                Rei laughed at that and shook her head. “Actually, that’s not too far from what we have planned, Vegeta. How does your own little chase go?”

                “Lousy,” he admitted. “I can’t seem to locate her, and she’s been declining my requests for an audience.”

                “Check her private garden. She’s been in there an awful lot lately, usually reading or just relaxing. She doesn’t know about Setsuna’s disappearance and the time shift, so she’s really starting to worry about her not responding to her summonses. That’s why we need Broly… for Mina to pool enough of her powers to locate Sets, she needs to sacrifice a virgin.” Rei laughed when Vegeta’s mouth hung open and he blinked at her. “No, not like that! We just need her cherry to get popped in the temple. And a few other things as well. And since she’s as innocent as they come… it seemed like the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.”

                “So you’re just going to throw your unwitting niece onto Broly and let him fuck her brains out? Woman, even I have to admit that that’s a little fucked up.”

                “It won’t be like that,” Rei groaned. “Mina and I have a plan, damn it! Vegeta, she **_is_** my niece. I’m not going to just do it the way you’re thinking of. It’ll be nice and slow, and Broly is supposed to seduce the ever-living shit out of her. Then when he bites her, she’ll remember and everything else will just take care of itself. We hope, anyway.”

                “I wish it was that simple for me,” the prince sighed.

###################################

               

                Broly jumped and turned, ready to attack, when he felt a small hand grip his wrist roughly from behind. “You’d do well to let me— oh,” he finished with a grunt, as he locked eyes with Sailor Mars. “Rei. I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for one of you. Where in the hell is she? Does she remember me? Is she alright?”

                Mars smiled and shook her head. “She doesn’t remember a damned thing. Oh, don’t look so sad,” she chuckled wryly, “it’ll just be a lot of fun making her remember you. I sure enjoyed jogging Raditz’s memory.”

                “I’m sure he enjoyed it as well,” Broly snickered. “I hear you actually seduced the biggest slut in the universe.”

                “Yeah, I did,” she answered with a grin. “Anyways, Minako and I have a plan in the works, so come with me. It’s the only way you’ll be able to see her without Serenity breathing down her neck, or without an escort of guards. She’s making Chibi-Usa take three with her now that so many Saiyans are here.”

                “To protect her daughter’s virginity, no doubt. I can’t blame her,” he mused, “since there’s one Saiyan here hell-bent on claiming it.”

                Rei flashed him another grin. “We know.”

 

######################

                “Ok, kiddo. I’ve labeled these for you, so this is a no-brainer. This first bottle here is regular old massage oil, but with a Venusian kick.”

                Broly chuckled. “An aphrodisiac?”

                Mina rolled her eyes. “Getting ahead of yourself, there. No, it’ll simply relax her a little, that’s all. Nothing more. Now… bottle number two…” She grinned as she picked up a bottle of red liquid the size of her hand. “…isn’t exactly an aphrodisiac, but it’s pretty close. At least, it’s the closest to one that I’ll allow for use on a virgin. She’ll retain all of her mental faculties, she’ll be one hundred percent aware of what’s going on, but her skin will be very sensitive to the touch wherever this has been rubbed in. So go easy on those areas, ok? Light touches, unless you want her to pass out from the pleasure overload.”

                “But won’t the sensitivity hurt?” Broly asked worriedly.

                “That’s what this is for.” Minako pulled a third bottle—little more than a vial, really—from her bodice, and handed it over. “This will have no effect on you, Broly, so it’s safe for you to give it to her with a kiss so she doesn’t suspect anything. She’ll only need to ingest a few drops, so put some in your mouth and kiss her, and she’s bound to get it in her system. It’ll turn pain into pleasure. It’s only used for virginity rites in the temple, but since this is my niece we’re talking about and this is technically a virginity rite due to the power I’ll receive and use from it…” Mina shrugged and smiled. “Besides, Rei requested it in exchange for the recipe in the second bottle. The Temple of Mars has been guarding that secret for centuries, so I was more than happy to nick a vial from the vault.”

                “You mean… when I claim her, it won’t hurt? At all?” Broly asked gleefully.

                “Not at all. In fact, it’ll feel wonderful. Just don’t get out of hand and start claiming her like a Saiyan warrior, boy. Remember, that vial will wear off after about ten hours, and she’ll know if something’s broken by then.”

                “Right. I’ll remember.” Broly was practically bouncing in place like an ecstatic little kid as he grinned at her. Then he darted forward and kissed her full on the lips before hugging her tightly. “Thank you so much, Minako. I’m forever in your debt for this.”

                “Oh, I know you are,” Mina laughed, “and I expect you to name your first daughter after me. Now, go find something to do. A floor to sweep or something. I need you to look like a temple priest until she gets here, and I still have to go deal with the queen. If any female comes in and propositions you, you politely refuse and claim to be an acolyte in training by the goddess herself, and that you’re still in your cleansing stage. They won’t argue with that.”

                “Gods, I hope I’ve learned enough Solarian for that,” he muttered to himself.

                “I’ll ask Michiru to keep an eye out for you. Don’t worry, we won’t let some random old lady try to fuck your brains out.” At his disgusted look, she laughed. “Hey, old ladies need love, too, you know. And some of the priests here don’t mind knocking the cobwebs loose once in a while. Besides,” she added, leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, “I hear they give stellar head when they take their teeth out.”

                “Well, I’m not getting an erection tonight. Thank you, Mina, for that mental image,” Broly said dryly. “Gods, I’m gonna puke.”

                “Eh, just get some of that second oil on your cock and you won’t have a problem getting a hard-on. Now, take off the tank top and get to work. I normally require my priests to wear different attire, but acolytes are permitted to wear pants if they have modesty issues. Besides… I don’t think I have a single wrap in this temple that would be long enough to conceal your dick.”

                Broly turned to go then, but was quickly stopped. “Forgot one thing!” Mina giggled. She set another item on the tray then and winked at him. “Just in case… Wait a second. You do know what this is, right?”

                The Saiyan warrior grinned and nodded a little bit, his face turning slightly red. “Yes, Minako, I know what it is.”

                “Good! Batteries are fully charged, but I highly doubt you’ll need to use it on her for long… if you have to use it at all.”

#############################

                “No, Minako. It’s out of the question and you know it.”

                The goddess of love rolled her eyes for the millionth time in ten minutes and felt like screaming. “Usagi, the girl has requested entry to the temple over a dozen times, now. You’re simply being a prude!”

                “No, Mina! My daughter is not getting her cherry popped by some random male! That’s final!”

                Minako blinked at that and laughed. “Oh, dear goddess… seriously, Usagi? Seriously!? You really think I’d let my niece lose her virginity in some loveless temple tryst? I was talking about something simple. Let her visit, look around, ask questions. Maybe get a _back massage_ while she’s there! Maybe a kissing lesson,” she continued, still holding her sides as she laughed. “You _really_ thought I wanted her to go through a virginity rite?” _Ok, fine, I do. But it definitely won’t be loveless._

                “Well, why didn’t you say that before, Mina!? God!”

                “Because I didn’t think I’d _have_ to,” she sighed. “I’m not a fucking idiot, Usagi. She’s seventeen. She’s curious about men. It doesn’t mean I’m going to just have some random priest bang her in a back room. Besides, neither of us were even virgins at seventeen; do you really want your daughter to be so sexually dense when she marries that she runs screaming from the bridal chambers?”

                Serenity flopped on her bed and sighed. “Ugh… fine, Mina-chan. I’ll admit that you have a point. A massage, then, and a kissing lesson if she’s interested,” she added with a bit of a blush. “God, my baby’s grown up, hasn’t she?” She added sadly.

                “Well, you could always make more of them with that sexy as hell Saiyan prince,” she giggled. “Dear goddess, has he got it _bad_ for you. How many times has he asked for your hand, now?”

                “Every day since he arrived. Except today, of course. I’m surprised he’s being so patient. I thought the pull was supposed to make Saiyan males a little nuts?”

                “He has a lot of patience, I’m sure. And he’s respecting your right to mourn Endymion. It’s a Saiyan thing; he’ll wait until you feel the pull for him in return before he insists on forming a pairbond.”

                “Funny,” she muttered to herself, “since he’s so famous for his explosive temper.” She shook her head at that, shrugging off a strange feeling that she’d had this conversation before. “And how’s your own Saiyan mate?” Usagi asked with a wistful little smile. Maybe she’d let Vegeta sneak a kiss today if he could track her down; he was being awfully nice to her; she may as well reward him a little for his patience.

                “Insatiable, as always,” she purred happily. “I didn’t think he was going to let me out of the bed this morning.”

                “Heh. Newlyweds. Enjoy it while you can, Mina-chan.” Usagi sighed and sat up, detransforming just to feel her old body once more. Would Vegeta still want her like this? With the blonde hair and the blue eyes? Hm… maybe she’d meet him like that today and find out. “So, Chibi-Usa has questions, too?”

                “A million,” Mina huffed. “But I told her that I’d have to ask you before I told her anything.”

                She sighed and nodded. “Keep her overnight, then, let her sit up with the priestesses and have them answer any questions.” Usagi smirked at that. “It’ll be like one of our old sleepovers, talking about boys and sneaking glasses of wine out of your mom’s stash.”

                “Maybe I’ll let one of the priests sneak in for show and tell?” Mina asked, waggling her eyebrows.

                “Oh my God, Mina. This is my daughter you’re talking about!” Usagi couldn’t help but laugh, however, and shook her head. There was nothing wrong with looking, she figured, and her daughter would be safe in the company of priestesses. “If something like that happens, Mina…”

                “I know, I know. You’ll kick my ass.”

                “No… I’d just rather not hear about it,” she chuckled. “Ignorance is bliss, my friend.”

######################

                Chibi-Usa grinned and looked all around, soaking in the sight of the inside of the temple for the first time. “It’s beautiful, Aunt Mina.” Unable to help herself, she jumped on the blonde and hugged her tightly. “Thank you again _so much_ , Aunt Mina! I don’t know how you convinced her, but you did!”

                “I made her realize that you’re a young woman of marriageable age, and not some child that needs to be sheltered all the time. So… I have a young man in mind for you, if you’d like to begin.” Mina grinned when Chibi-Usa blushed, just as she’d expected. “Oh, not like that… unless, of course, you _want_ to…?”

                The princess’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at such a suggestion. “Oh my… mother would kill me, Aunt Mina! Shit, she’d kill you for letting it happen!”

                Mina snorted. “Bullshit. Let me tell you a little secret, my dear. Your mother gave herself to your father at sixteen, so she would never be one to talk. I’m dead serious, honey. If you find yourself wanting a man like that, you go for it. Or let me know if you need someone to help you find a place to do the deed. I’ll make it happen. Understand?”

                She was as pink as her hair at that point, but she managed a nod. “I… I don’t really want to marry Helios, you know,” she whispered.

                “Is there someone else, then?” Mina chirped happily.

                “Well… I… it’s so strange, Aunt Mina.” She let her aunt lead her into the inner cloister, Mina’s living quarters, before continuing. “For a little over a week, I’ve been feeling this need… this _want_ … and it won’t go away. And I’ve been having these strange dreams about this man, but I never see his face. And in the dreams…” Her face was bright red at this point, and she shook her head furiously. “I don’t understand it, not at all.”

                “Rei and I had the same dreams, you know. They started two days before the delegation had their audience with Serenity. Maybe you’re destined for one of the Saiyans that have taken up residence?”

                “Wait… you, too?”

                “Uh-huh. Rei more than I, though. You have a touch of the sight, like her, since your father did. Maybe that’s why your dreams are frequent and strong?” She guessed.

                “Huh, I don’t know. So,” she went on, seeking a change of subject, “what do you recommend while I’m visiting?”

                “Well, you have permission to spend the night, since I know you have questions, and I thought you could stay with the younger priestesses and ask them all the questions you wanted. But for today, I’ve readied a nice room for you to relax in, just down the hall, and I’ve gotten a masseuse to give you a massage. You can lay in there naked on silk sheets, eat some chocolate covered strawberries, drink some wine, and get some nice attention from a sexy young man. He’s going to give you some kissing lessons, too,” she added with a grin and a wink.

                Her eyes popped again. “But I’ll be naked!”

                “Duh. But since you’re getting a full body massage, I don’t think it’ll be an issue by that point,” she chuckled. “Oh, honey, I’m kidding. Not about the full body massage,” she said quickly when her niece looked just a little too relieved. “Seriously, if you don’t want to be naked while he’s kissing you, then ask if you can put on a robe first. That’s totally reasonable.” And if she actually asked for one by that point, Broly didn’t know what the fuck he was doing in the bed, Mina thought with a chuckle. Especially since this full body massage was an erotic Venusian massage; she’d given Broly verbal instructions on how to properly go about it, and had been surprised to discover that Saiyans had something similar on Vegeta-sai. Maybe she’d corner Turles later on and request a demonstration.

                “Full body? Aunt Mina, I don’t think I’m too—“

                “Hush, dear. It’ll feel wonderful, trust me. It’s _very_ relaxing, and you get to enjoy having a man’s hands all over you at the same time. Maybe his mouth, too, if you ask nicely.” She laughed when it looked like the princess’s head was going to explode just at the thought. “Oh, you’re no fun,” she giggled. “You and your mother, I swear you’re as impossible to tease as she was at your age. You don’t even have to do anything, Usa, and seriously? If you’re really uncomfortable, like so much that you want him to stop, just say so, ok? It’s just a massage. That’s it. No sex, no expectations of anything other than **just a massage**. He won’t do any more than that unless you actually request it, you have my word. And if you **_do_** request it, I won’t tattle. Just throwing that out there, just in case. I don’t want you to think I’ll squeal to your mom or anything.”

                Chibi-Usa nodded slightly, still fighting the urge to crawl into a closet and hide her beet red face from the world. “Just a massage? But… he’ll be touching…” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “…my _breasts and everything else_?”

                “Mmhmm, just lie back, close your eyes, and enjoy it, honey. Seriously, you have to admit that you’re just a little curious as to what it’ll feel like right?” Mina smiled and squeezed her shoulder when she nodded immediately. “Also, it’ll be fairly dark in there, honey, so at least you won’t have to get all embarrassed and be forced to look him in the eye.”

                The princess actually felt grateful for that, it seemed that her aunt had thought of everything ahead of time. If only she knew just how much! She nodded a little, thinking it over. Oh, what could it hurt? Her mother never had to know; obviously Aunt Mina had gotten permission for something, maybe just staying with the priestesses, maybe a **_back_** massage and not the whole shebang. But she was clearly supporting Chibi-Usa’s previous declarations that she was an adult and should be treated as such, and not some eight-year-old little girl that needed to be sheltered from everything that could possibly harm her. Mina was giving her choices and allowing her to call the shots. She appreciated that support more than Mina could ever know, so she’d do this, since she was sure it would be good for her. At least it would be one hell of a memory! “Ok, let’s do it,” she said with a tiny smile.

                “ _That’s_ my girl! Come on, honey, you’re about to embark on your own little journey into exploring your sexuality.” Mina grabbed her by the hand and led her further into the inner cloister before ushering her into a bedroom that was simply lavish. “Normally, I’d stick someone in one of the other rooms, but since I didn’t want a random priest accidentally walking in and seeing you naked, I had this room prepared.”

                “It’s not yours, is it?” Chibi-Usa swallowed at the sight of the huge canopied bed, draped in white and red, lit only by a handful of scented candles that were strategically placed around the room. They were clearly just so someone walking in wouldn’t trip over anything in the dark, while keeping it nearly black for anyone lying amongst the sheets.

                “Oh no, this is a guest room, don’t worry yourself. Besides, Turles is in my room right now, and I know he’s waiting on me to come ride him like a horsey,” Mina laughed. “Poor man, having to wait on his mate to take care of her duties.”

                Chibi-Usa couldn’t help but chuckle. “I know, I’ve heard how insatiable these Saiyan males can be. Is Aunt Ami still dodging that general?”

                “Yeah… but not for much longer. Your Aunt Rei and I have done a little meddling in that matter. We’ve told Nappa her entire schedule, so it’s only a matter of time before he corners her.”             

                “God, the thought of Aunt Ami with anyone… it’s too funny. I’m glad you’re meddling in her love life, Aunt Mina. She deserves to be happy, and I know she’d never get married unless someone kind of made it happen for her.”

                _Just like someone else in the room,_ Mina thought, hearing Turles’s chuckle in her mind as he caught snippets of the conversation. “Alright, Turles is getting antsy, honey. Go ahead and get naked, get in the bed, and just relax. Eat a little, drink a couple glasses of wine if you’re feeling nervous, and Broly will be in in about fifteen minutes, ok?”

                “Broly? But isn’t that a Saiyan name?” Chibi-Usa asked with a touch of alarm.

                “He’s a very dedicated acolyte, Usa. He won’t do anything you don’t want him to, don’t worry. And he’s a very skilled masseuse,” she half-lied. She had no clue if he was, but he likely knew something about working out stiff muscles since he was a warrior. “And for the sake of argument, Usa… if you seriously feel threatened, your Uncle Turles will hear you scream. Our room’s not that far away.”

                Usa sighed at that with a touch of relief, and suddenly felt _much_ more secure about the whole thing. She’d only known Turles for a couple weeks, but if she knew anything about him, he’d go down defending any member of his family. And since she was Mina’s family, that automatically made her his family, too. Saiyans definitely had some good qualities outside of all the posturing and warmongering.

                Simply put, if she screamed, Turles would be there in a flash, kicking the fucking shit out of anyone that was trying to harm her. “Alright, I’m good, Aunt Mina.” She bent a little to kiss her cheek and gave her a nervous smile. “Onward and upward into new experiences.”

                “That’s the attitude. Just use your communicator if you need anything, honey.”

                Once Mina left, Chibi-Usa slowly shed her clothing and laid it on the floor beside the enormous bed before crawling in and shivering with delight. “Oh wow. Silk sheets on bare skin feels great!” She chuckled. She poured a glass of wine and downed it while she wiggled around in the silk and giggled at the simple pleasure of how it felt against her skin. A second glass followed while she indulged in a few chocolate-covered strawberries, and she was nursing a third when she heard the door open behind her.

                The princess immediately froze as her heartbeat sped up, and she blushed into the pillow that she was resting her chin on. “Y—you can come in,” she choked out in Saiyan.

                “Ah, you speak my language,” Broly replied, keeping up pretenses. “Good, because my Solarian is poor at best.” He approached the bed slowly, set down the tray containing the oils, and finally knelt beside her. He closed his eyes as her scent hit his nose, and was surprised how easy a time he was having in controlling his beast. He’d give her pleasure, quite a bit of it, and then he’d claim her. His inner Saiyan seemed to be more than happy with that, and was perfectly willing to sit back and enjoy the seduction. “So, Highness. The goddess has given me my instructions. Where would you like to start?”

                Usa licked her lips in anticipation; something about his low, purring voice was awfully familiar, and the sound of it alone made her simply want his hands on her right away. “I… uh… wherever you think would be best?”

                Ah, his Rabbit was still so damned naïve; any warrior could interpret that as he saw fit and go nuts. “As you wish, Highness,” he said softly.

                Usa shivered at the feel of a little massage oil dribbling down her spine; it was warm, and when his even warmer hands started to gently spread it out over her bare skin, she couldn’t help but make a little noise of pleasure and relax into the sheets. She moaned softly when he started with her shoulders, his touch firm, carefully working the muscles with his fingers and his knuckles as he worked his way down her back. “That’s awesome,” she sighed when he got to her lower back and used his thumbs to work out a knot.

                Broly smiled to himself when he slowly slid the sheet down to completely bare her, and thanked the gods for his superior Saiyan night vision. He watched her stiffen for a moment before forcing herself to relax, and decided to keep his hands in platonic areas… for the moment, anyway. He poured a little more oil from the first jar unto her calves, smoothed it over her from her feet to her knees, and chuckled when she jerked at the feel of his hands on her feet. “Ticklish, Highness?”

                “A little,” she admitted. “And call me Usa. I hate the titles to begin with, and in this kind of setting they seem simply ridiculous.”

                “You have a point,” he purred, moving away from her feet when she jerked again and laughed. “Let’s skip the feet then, shall we?”

                “Yes, please. Mmm… but don’t skip the calves,” she sighed happily as he moved on to her legs and expertly worked them over. “You’re really good at this, Broly.”

                “Why, thank you. It’s a pleasure to hear it, and to have you enjoy it,” he answered, trying his best to sound like a dedicated novice in Mina’s temple. “Need more oil,” he said as he reached her thighs. He smirked as he trickled a little from the second jar onto the backs of her thighs, and heard her make a soft, pleased noise as he began to rub it in, slowly working his way up. Broly smiled when she parted her legs slightly for him, and he brushed against her curls with his oil-slicked hands while he worked on the inside of her upper legs.

                Usagi bit back a gasp when she felt his thumbs running along her outer folds as he continued, but she had to admit that it felt… good. No, better than good. God, her thighs were tingling from the sudden onslaught of pleasure from his touch, and she felt a slight aching from between her legs as a soft warmth began to pool in her belly.

                “Turn over, Usa,” Broly instructed, unable to keep the huskiness out of his voice. He felt her shiver under his hands, and when he thought she was going to ask him to stop, she suddenly complied. He nearly moaned at the sight of her; her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and arousal, the cherry hue spreading to the tops of her breasts. He dripped some more oil from the second bottle onto her stomach and slowly rubbed it into her as he worked his hands a little higher.

                He had to bite down on his lower lip when he reached her breasts and she moaned a little in response, instinctively arching herself into his hands as he gently massaged them, brushing his thumbs over the nipples as he squeezed and kneaded the succulent flesh. “Hm, Usa. Now would be a good time for the kissing lesson, if you like. If I kiss you while I’m doing this type of massage, it will be passionate and a good learning tool.” Broly couldn’t keep the husky note of desire out of his voice; it was taking every drop of his willpower not to descend upon her right then and there.

                Oh God, it sounded like he actually _wanted_ to kiss her, and not just as a customer… patient… whatever she was. Student. Yes, that one fit better than the others.

                Broly moved to her thighs again, using a little more oil, and dumped half of the vial into his mouth, holding the liquid on the inside of his cheek and under his tongue as he began to massage her quads, working his way slowly to her core as he’d done a few minutes before.

                She could sense that he was silently awaiting her answer and finally nodded. “No time like the present, right?” Usa gurgled with pleasure when he bent down and began to kiss her slowly, simply moving his mouth over hers, and she opened to him when she felt his tongue seeking entry as his thumbs began to rub against the outside of her heat once more. She couldn’t help but buck a little into his hand when it boldly rubbed over her curls, the sheer pleasure from his touch making her moan into his mouth.

                Broly released the small amount of liquid from his cheek as he continued to touch and kiss her, and finally pulled back when he knew she’d swallowed it all. “Not a bad first kiss,” he mused. “Would you like to continue the lesson?”

                Usa gave him the barest of nods as he slid his hands back up to her breasts and began to toy with her nipples, gently rubbing them before tweaking them slightly, sending another rush of pleasure between her legs. She moaned when he kissed her again, opening to him instantly and running her tongue over his, beginning a slow and sensuous duel between their mouths.

                Broly broke away to run his mouth over her jawline and down to her neck as he listened to her, breathing heavily in his ear, the sound punctuated with an occasional whimper as his hands continued to wander. “It’s better to touch your lover in return while he’s kissing you,” he whispered, and chuckled when one of her hands immediately bunched in his hair while the other clutched at his back. “Very good, Rabbit.”

                “Rabbit?” Usa mumbled, her eyes rolling back a little as his hand slid down to stroke over her curls once more. No one had ever called her that before, but it sounded so familiar… and it strangely sounded right coming out of his mouth. She blinked when she realized that that particular mouth was now at her breast, licking delicately at a nipple. God, that felt… wow. Just **_wow_**. But, still… “Broly, what are you doing?” She whispered nervously.

                “It’s part of the kissing lesson, Rabbit,” he replied in his best professional, reassuring tone. Broly stopped and raised his head to brush his mouth over hers. “Just lie back and enjoy it.”

                “Um… I… I don’t think this is such a—my mother—“

                “Isn’t here,” he chuckled, unsurprised to feel her jump slightly; he knew she’d felt some sort of flicker of memory at that statement. “Live a little, Rabbit.” Broly smiled when he watched her blink and furrow her brow in thought. Yes, she was remembering! He nibbled at her shoulder then and his chest rumbled in a purr that he couldn’t control when she clutched at his back and his hair.

                “What, exactly, did Aunt Mina tell you to do?” Usagi managed, pulling away from him slightly. God, breaking away from him felt like the worst mistake she could possibly make in her life; his hands and mouth felt like a little slice of heaven, and now that they were no longer on her, she felt like she was being cheated.

                “The goddess instructed me to please you,” he replied huskily, “to give you anything you wanted,” he half-lied. “Do you want me to stop, Rabbit? I was under the impression that you were enjoying this.”

                “That’s all she told you to do?” Usa asked suspiciously.

                Broly chuckled and leaned in to nip at her lower lip. “Specifically, I was told to give you an erotic Venusian massage… at least until I explained that we have something very similar on Vegeta-sai. Then she told me to give you that, so long as I respected your wishes to stop if you asked me to.”

                “Erotic?” Usagi choked, scooting back from him just a little. Damn it, her throat was dry; she quickly sat up and snagged her half-full glass of wine and drained the contents before pouring another and sipping on it. “I thought this was just supposed to be a full body massage.”

                “Oh, it is, but with a little sexual pleasure thrown in. It’s occasionally done for females under mating age on Vegeta-sai when the burning has started earlier than it should have. The burning is a hormonal drive to mate,” he quickly explained, when she lifted an eyebrow. “It’s done to satisfy their inner Saiyan and ease what is literally a burning sensation in their bodies. It’s a very uncomfortable thing to deal with when you can’t be mated for another year or two.”

                “God, poor girls,” Usa mumbled. “What about the boys?”

                “Oh, we have it, too,” Broly laughed softly. “I got my first burning at fourteen, eight months before I was old enough to have sex.”

                Usa scooted a little closer to offer him a glass of wine, which he gratefully took. “So what did you do?” She asked curiously.

                “You really want to know?”

                She shrugged; hell, she was here to learn, right? And nothing could possibly embarrass her right then after he’d been touching her pretty much everywhere.

                “I jerked off every five minutes or so until it stopped,” he laughed. “My cock was raw for days. Raditz and Turles thought it was funny as hell,” he added, “until, of course, Raditz’s burning started a week later and he wound up in the same boat.”

                “Sounds like Raditz got Godsmacked,” Usa giggled. She had no clue what jerking off meant, but it sure sounded painful!

                “Oh, he did! He missed training for six days; at least I managed to only miss three. Nappa worked him twice as hard when he came back, and beat the hell out of him for ‘being a sissy.’” Broly drained his glass and set it down. “So, Rabbit…”

                Usagi nibbled at a strawberry and blushed as she felt his eyes on her. God, she was still aching all over, particularly from her breasts to her knees, and her body was begging her to let him touch her some more to relieve the sensation. “No sex… right? I’m… I’m kind of saving myself for marriage.”

                “Not unless you ask me to, I swear it on my tail, Rabbit.”

                Those last six words filled her with another wave of déjà vu. “Broly… do I know you? I keep getting the strangest feeling that you’ve said that to me before.”

                “Maybe in another life,” he half-joked.

                Usagi’s eyes went wide at that. “Don’t joke about that sort of thing,” she whispered, “my mother’s had that sort of thing happen to her countless times, and it only means that we’ve died, if that’s the case.”

                “My apologies, Highness. I didn’t mean to upset you. Here, lie down on your stomach, and I’ll simply massage your back again,” he offered.

                “Alright. I’m ok with that,” she replied softly. Usa drank the rest of her glass and laid back down on her stomach. She was a little upset with him, but she couldn’t help but sigh happily as he kneaded her shoulders once more, slowly working his way down her sides as he added a little more oil. Then it was back up her spine, and down again, until she jumped at the feeling of him massaging her backside.

                “It’s a muscle, too, Rabbit,” Broly chuckled. “And it’s awfully tense,” he teased. He dug his knuckles into her sciatic nerve a little, his hands slick with oil from the second jar, and smiled when she moaned with pleasure. “Told you so.” He chuckled when she snorted at him and he could practically feel her rolling her eyes, and dug his knuckles in once more, drawing another moan from her throat as he bent his head to nip at the back of her neck. When she didn’t protest the action, he began to lavish her throat with attention, using his lips, teeth and tongue to make her whimper as he lowered one hand to stroke her heat once more.

                “Broly… we should probably…” Usa couldn’t help but lift her hips a little when he cupped her and slowly teased the lips of her sex, dragging his fingers back and forth over them in a lazy motion.

                “You’re very tense right here, Rabbit. Your inner thighs, especially.” Broly paused for effect and grinned in the darkness, reaching to the tray for the extra item Minako had given him. “Tell you what… I have a massage tool that will help me loosen your muscles up. That way I won’t be touching you there with my bare hands. Does that make you a little more comfortable?”

                Usagi instantly relaxed at that and nodded; the feeling of his hands on her down there was making her a little uncomfortable, and she was immensely grateful that he’d come prepared to deal with her nervous inexperience. “Thank you, Broly. I’m sorry if I’m being such a pain; I know that you’re just doing your job.”

                “Rabbit, my job is to give you pleasure. And if I’m doing something that you’re too self-conscious about to enjoy, then there’s always something else I can do for you. And I apologize if I’ve upset you in any way.”

                Usagi smiled and shook her head, completely relaxing into his touch as one of his hands massaged her neck. “You’re fine, Broly. And I thank you for being so patient with me. I’m sure Aunt Mina told you that I’d never even been kissed before.”

                “Really?” Broly asked, feigning ignorance. “Well damn it, Rabbit. I feel honored! A virgin’s first kiss is a very powerful thing in this temple, you know. I’m sure the goddess got quite the boost from it!”

                “You don’t say? Well, Aunt Mina arranged all of this and managed to get my mother’s approval, so I hope it did. I definitely owe her at least that much.” Much more comfortable with the situation, she smiled and turned her head a little, but still couldn’t quite make out his face in the dim candlelight. “Your hands aren’t getting tired, are they?”

                “Not at all, little rabbit. Here… turn over onto your back and I’ll get the tool for your inner thighs.” While she rolled, Broly retrieved the item from the tray and smirked in the darkness. If this didn’t turn her into a quivering mass of jello, then nothing would. “Now, I’ve never used this particular tool before, so I’m going to test it out first, ok? Sometimes I have to play with the settings to get it just right. Just hold still, enjoy it, and tell me if it’s too much, alright?”

                He sounded so nonchalant about the whole thing that Usagi simply shrugged and sagged into the pillows behind her. She was just closing her eyes as she heard a low humming sound, and jumped slightly when something brushed over her stomach. It was… vibrating? “Whoa,” she giggled, “I didn’t expect that!”

                “Too much?” Damn it, he had it set on low!

                “No, no!” She laughed, “it just startled me, that’s all!” She heard him laugh softly right along with her, then felt that curious vibration on her stomach again. “Wow. That feels… interesting,” she mused as it travelled upwards a little. She gasped when it stroked a nipple, lingering on the tip of it for a few moments before travelling to the other one, and suddenly that aching sensation she was feeling from her breasts to her knees intensified and she felt warm all over.

                “Too much?” Broly asked softly, his chest rumbling despite his attempts to leash it.

                “No,” she answered breathlessly. “It feels good.”

                “Good. Spread your legs just a little bit, Rabbit, and I’ll work the rest of the tension out of your body.”

                “Kay,” she replied easily, doing as she was told and closing her eyes. She gasped with pleasure at the sensation of the massage tool running slowly over the inside of one of her thighs, then the other, and she nodded when he asked her if he could turn it up a little. The higher setting made her gurgle happily and she closed her eyes and simply submitted to the warmth growing inside of her. “That feels so nice,” she said after several minutes. “It tickles a little, but it feels great.”

                “But you’re still tense, Rabbit,” Broly said with a false sigh. He then just barely let the wand in his hand slip to the side, and his ‘student’ let out a little moan as she jerked in surprise. “Ah. Just as I thought. Hold still, Rabbit, I know why you’re still tense.”

                “Huh?” She was about to ask something else when she felt him deliberately move the tool over her curls, and the raw pleasure that shot through her made her instantly moan. “Why—why does that f—feel—“

                “There are nerve endings throughout your body, Rabbit,” Broly explained, not even sure how much of what he was about to say was true. He would just make it sound good, and hopefully she wouldn’t protest. “And right here…” He pressed the tip of the slim vibrator into her folds. “…there’s a bundle of nerves, that when massaged just right, will give a woman immense pleasure, followed by utter relaxation. Normally, I would use my hands for this, but if you’d prefer the tool, that’s just fine, too.”

                The thought of his fingers touching here there made her turn crimson, and Usagi nodded. “The massage tool is fine if you think such a thing is necessary? And… is this normal, Broly?”

                “Oh, most definitely. I’m honestly surprised that you hadn’t discovered this for yourself while you were bathing. Just relax, Rabbit. It’s going to feel better than anything you’ve experienced before.” Broly smiled and his beast purred happily when his intended mate shrugged naively and gave him a tiny nod to continue, and he slid the wand slowly between her folds, letting it vibrate against the sensitive flesh around her clit, avoiding her nub altogether.

                After several minutes of that, Usagi let out a tiny moan and squirmed. “Broly, I think it’s making it worse,” she whimpered. “I feel… so hot… and tense…”

                “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m only just starting.” He quit with the teasing then and pressed it upwards just slightly, where her clit was swollen out of its hood and standing at attention, just begging to be caressed.

                Usagi’s reaction was instant, and she cried out softly in both surprise and ecstasy, gripping the sheets beneath her. “Dear gods, Broly! That… that feels so…” She felt the vibration suddenly intensify as he turned it up a little and her eyes rolled back in response.

                “Too much?” Broly whispered. “I know it can be very intense for a woman when she’s never had this done before. I can stop if you’d like,” he offered, still sliding the wand back and forth over her nub.

                “No! It… it feels so _good_!” Chibi-Usa moaned, in utter shock that there was a spot on her body that could make her feel so warm, so good, so desperate for **_more_**. She suddenly felt his lips at her breast again but didn’t protest this time when he began to lick, then suck gently. It was intensifying the pleasure between her thighs somehow, and her hands rose up of their own volition to bury themselves in his hair as she moaned softly. _“Broly…_ ”

                The Saiyan on top of her groaned at the sound of his name on her lips and immediately claimed them as he continued to massage her clit, turning the vibrator up to the highest setting with his thumb. The kiss was by far more passionate than the one he’d given her before, both of them moaning into each other’s mouths, her hips rocking in reaction to the climbing pleasure low in her belly. “Come for me, Rabbit,” he ordered as he drug his lips down her neck.

                “What… what’s…”

                “You’ll know it when you feel it,” he groaned, pressing his tail against her slit to stretch her out a little for the main event.

                That added sensation suddenly sent her tumbling over the edge for the very first time, and Usagi couldn’t control the volume of her voice as she moaned his name again, clutching at him desperately as the fire in her belly erupted into a hot inferno that ran through every last inch of her body. The vibration eased down to her opening and away from her clit when she began to squirm from pleasure overload, replacing the fuzzy appendage that had been there only moments before, and the moon princess trembled against him and fought for air in the wake of her very first climax.

                She couldn’t believe how utterly stress-free and satisfied she felt; Broly hadn’t been lying in the least about how relaxing such a massage could be. “That was so… gods, I can’t find a word to describe it,” she sighed contentedly as she rose up a little to kiss him softly. “Thank you, Broly.”

                “You’re very welcome, Rabbit,” he breathed against her lips. “I’ve pleasured women before, but making you come is by far the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had. In fact…” Broly flicked his tongue over her lips and purred with delight when she leaned into it and kissed him in earnest. “Mmm… gods, you taste as good as you smell, sweetheart.” He then slid the wand up a little and brushed it over her throbbing, over-sensitive clit. “Would you like me to do it again? Now that you know _how_ to come, it probably won’t take very long at all to get you there a second time.”

                “Will I _survive_ it?” She asked seriously, her eyes wide at the thought of feeling such intense pleasure again.

                Broly laughed in earnest at that and nodded. “Yes, yes Rabbit. You see, a woman’s body is a very amazing thing. Men can usually only come once, and then there’s a waiting period before he can again. Well, most men, anyway. Saiyans can usually reach climax several times in an hour. But women… if it’s done _right_ , they can come over and over again, usually having them back to back.”

                “You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Usagi asked with wide eyes. “You mean to tell me that I can feel that over and over in a very short amount of time? And not have a heart attack?”

                “Nah, not at your age. You might pass out from the intensity, though.” Broly slid the wand over her clit again and smirked when she immediately bucked and moaned, but his smile died when he felt her grip his wrist and pull the tool away. “What’s wrong, Rabbit? I thought you wanted—“

                “I do,” she whispered, cutting him off. “But I’m curious about something. You… you said that men… that they could feel that too, right?” She asked slowly. When Broly nodded, she studied his body carefully. “How?”

                Oh, so his little princess wanted a lesson, huh? “Same place as you, Rabbit,” he said with total casualness, as if his beast wasn’t totally climbing the walls at the idea of her touching him. “Why?”

                Usagi gulped at the thought and blushed to her toes at the thought, but she was _awfully_ curious. Outside of anatomy class with her Aunt Ami, she’d never seen a penis before and she wondered what one really looked like in real life. “Can I… um… may I…?”

                “You want to look?” He asked gently. She nodded meekly and he kissed her tenderly, shutting off the wand… for now. “Of course you can, Rabbit. Anything you want, remember?”

                “Dear gods, my mother—“

                “Isn’t here,” he reiterated, sliding over to sit right next to her. “And there’s nothing wrong with this at all, Usa. It’s a very natural, healthy thing to be curious about the body of the opposite sex. Remember, I’m here to satisfy you, and if it pleases you to look at me… or even touch me, I’m fine with it. And I won’t breathe a word about it. Understand?”

                With him sitting right beside her, she could see his face much better in the candlelight, and she blushed at how handsome he was, followed by a little jump as they made eye contact. “What was that?”

                “Eh, don’t worry about it. It’s just a Saiyan thing.” Before she could press for an answer about the pull they’d both just felt, Broly unbuttoned his pants and slid them down over his hips, exposing his fully erect cock.

                “Whoa. I…” Usagi eyed it curiously, studying it closely for nearly a full minute before shaking her head in disbelief. “But they looked so much tinier in anatomy class, Broly.”

                “One, you were probably _not_ looking at a picture of a Saiyan warrior,” he replied smugly. “And two, I’m aroused. When a male is aroused, he gets hard. Like I am now. Eventually it’ll soften and look more like the pictures in your science books.”

                “Aroused?” She asked curiously. “But… why?”

                Broly sighed and chuckled as he pulled her face to his and kissed her. “Because I want you, Rabbit.”

                Her nose crinkled up in a mix of déjà vu and confusion for a moment before her eyes got wide and she suddenly turned crimson. “Oh. Ooooooh. Broly, I’m so sorry! I’ll just get some clothes on and we can—“ Chibi-Usa was cut off by an intense, deep kiss that she couldn’t help but return, and before she knew it, Broly was tipping her onto her back and worshipping her gently with his hands and his tail.

                “You’re not going anywhere, Usa,” he finally purred, nipping at her shoulder. Not now, not when he finally had her in his arms again. “Like I said, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” He couldn’t help but groan a little as his beast rocked his hips forward a bit and ground his bare cock into her hip. “Sorry, Rabbit. Won’t happen ag—“

                “It’s ok,” Chibi-Usa assured him. “Tell you what. Sit up and tell me what to do.” She was embarrassed by the prospect, but hadn’t he just given her immense pleasure without expecting any in return? The least she could do would be to return the favor, and maybe it would help him, too. “Will coming relax you like it did me?”

                Did a bear shit wherever it wanted to?  “Very much so, yes,” he whispered. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with that, though? I’m here for your pleasure, Usa. Not my own,” he half-lied.

                “I don’t mind, Broly. I mean… it’s, like… not doing anything bad, is it?”

                “No,” he chuckled, “not bad at all. It’s very, _very_ good, Rabbit. Bad girls tease, but good girls please.” When her eyes looked troubled, he sighed and kissed her. “It’s a joke, Rabbit. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’d never ask that of you.”

                Chibi-Usa made up her mind then and reached out to just barely stroke her fingertips over him. His reaction was immediate, and she smiled in satisfaction when he gasped for air and sighed. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted shyly. “Sorry.”

                “Just keep touching, Rabbit,” Broly choked out hoarsely. When she continued with the light, ethereal brushing of her fingers over him, he felt like he was going to go mad with need. “Gods, Usa… I want you so badly,” he groaned. “Don’t stop,” he practically begged, “and—and wrap your fingers—gods _yes_ , Usa… good girl… just like that…” He yanked her into his arms then and kissed her, his lips and tongue demanding as she continued to slowly work his cock, squeezing and sliding her hand up and down while he moaned into her mouth and explored her with his hands while his tail slipped between her folds to stroke her.

                The sound of her moaning into his mouth set him off, and Broly shook from the force of his climax as he erupted in her hand, spilling his seed all over her stomach. “Love you so much, Rabbit,” he breathed against her lips, nipping and licking at them as his tail continued to move. “You feel so good, _r’sha_ … come for me again…”

 

 

                He switched his fingers and his tail momentarily and used the fuzzy appendage to lavish her inner folds with the red oil from the second jar as he lowered his mouth to suck and tug at her nipples with his teeth while he purred at the sound of her little cries of pleasure. Stretching her entrance expertly while he rubbed and massaged that bundle of nerves in gentle little circles, he drug moan after moan from her throat as she arched into him and clawed at his back. “Come for me,” he moaned, tipping her backwards so that he was on top of her, “please Rabbit, I need to hear you moaning my name again.”

                It was only after his name erupted from her mouth in a sexy moan and she bucked against him, stiffening in his arms as she came, did she realize that he’d said ‘ _r’sha_ ’ and ‘I love you.’ But she barely had time to register that thought as his teeth sunk into her shoulder and flooded her with so much pleasure that she immediately came again, crying out loudly against his chest.

                As the pleasure ebbed a little, Usagi clutched at her head and whimpered as her mind was suddenly filled with—“Oh dear God,” she breathed.

                Broly felt her tears on his chest as she slowly looked up at him in the dark, and he gently caressed her face as he heard her tumultuous thoughts flowing through his brain. “ _R’sha_ ,” he whispered tenderly, “I’ve missed you.”

                “How… how could I not remember you?” She breathed, her hands already gliding up and down his back, coming back around to run over the muscled chest she knew so well.

                “The only ones that remembered were Rei and Michiru, myself and Vegeta. Turles and Raditz didn’t remember, and Bardock’s still clueless. Now, beloved… I need you, and I need you _now_. Please,” he whispered over her lips as he ground his quickly recovered erection against her thigh.

                “God, Broly, you don’t even have to ask,” she replied, raising her hips in invitation. “I’m yours, _r’sha_. I’ve _always_ been yours.” Her fingers were already trailing down his abs, caressing the familiar scars on his chest, then sliding down to stroke him gently. “Make love to me, _r’sha_.”

                “It won’t hurt this time,” he purred into her throat. “I gave you something when I first kissed you, a gift from your aunt to turn the pain into pleasure.”

                “Then take what’s yours, Broly. I need to feel you inside of me again.” She could hardly breathe as she felt him ease into her, it felt so _good_ , and when he thrust into her, burying himself to the hilt, she tightened around him and yelled his name as she climaxed for a fourth time. God, it was just as intense as their very first time, only the pain had been turned into nothing but rapture. He was already thrusting into her, knowing that the discomfort she would normally feel would only draw out her ecstasy as she came again, biting down on his shoulder to flood him not only with his own raw pleasure, but her own as well. “Harder,” she begged, “please, Broly, it feels so damned good.”

                Unable to deny her anything, he took her harder, groaning as she climaxed over and over, each orgasm heralded by a cry of pleasure ripping from her throat, more whispers of how good he felt locked inside of her, how she belonged to him and only him.

                He eventually allowed himself to come with a shuddering groan as he flooded her with his seed, and lay there trembling on top of her for a long moment before nibbling at her mark. “I love you, little Rabbit,” he whispered in Solarian. “I wish I’d told you on Vegeta-sai, I’ve regretted not letting you hear it since I woke up on Earth, wondering where in the hell you were. Thank the gods for Prince Vegeta, he convinced me that I wasn’t losing my mind, that it had all really happened. I thought I’d die when I saw my shoulder unmarked and you were nowhere to be found.”

                “Shh, Broly.” Usa wiped tears from her cheeks and moved her hands over him soothingly, bending her head to bite down on his mark and suck on it. “See? The mark’s back now and I’m here,” she assured him. “And I’m not going anywhere, alright? I’m yours again, forever this time. I’ll never leave your side ever again. I swear it.”

                Broly kissed her lovingly while his hands wandered curves that he already knew intimately. “What will we tell your mother?” He wondered aloud.

                “Sweet Selene, please don’t remind me,” she chuckled nervously. “Wait a second,” she said quickly, rolling out from under him to fish around in her clothes for her communicator.

                Mina answered immediately. “Everything alright?” The love goddess asked knowingly, her lips blooming into a broad smile at the sight of her niece’s hair. One bun was unraveled, and the other halfway there, messy as hell and spilling over one shoulder. Not to mention the fact that the goddess of lust had so much power at her disposal that she could probably make the entire quadrant come simultaneously. Gods… now _that_ would be an interesting thing to try.

                “Everything’s epic,” Usa replied with a grin. “Totally beyond alright. Except for what I’m going to tell my mother,” she added hesitantly. “She… she doesn’t remember, does she, Aunt Mina?”

                “No. And she won’t unless we tell her. We’d rather keep her in the dark, too, unless Vegeta decides to tell her the truth at some point. Which I think he should definitely not do, but it’s his decision. Turles won’t fill in the blanks for me, and I have a good feeling that I would rather not know, honey. Do you know what happened to me?” Mina frowned when Chibi-Usa nodded sullenly. “Would I rather know about it?”

                “No,” she whispered. “No, Aunt Mina, you really wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to know if I were you.”

                “I’ll tell her,” came Turles voice from the other end. “She knows how the pull works, and I’m a convincing liar. I’ll tell her you were getting a massage from one of the couple Saiyan acolytes we’ve acquired, you both felt the pull, and things got out of hand. It couldn’t be helped, and even if anyone knew what was happening, they would have never stopped a Saiyan from trying to claim his mate if they wanted to walk away intact.”

                “Turles,” Mina chuckled, “I believe I owe you a blowjob for this.”

                “Yeah, she does,” Usa agreed, though she had no idea what a blowjob was. But knowing Mina, it was something pleasurable for men, especially when she heard Turles purr something in Saiyan that she’d never dare repeat in Solarian. “Uh, well,” she choked, “I’ll leave you two alone, then… and thank you, Uncle Turles.”

                “No problem, girl. Stellar sex goddess head is more than enough payment for telling your mother that you got your cherry popped by a random horny Saiyan warrior.”


	4. Chapter 4

Two days straight of being subjected to his infuriating, intolerable, smug, overbearing, _sexy as hell_ presence had Makoto grinding her teeth and ready to plunge the sparring dagger in her hand straight into his chest, immunity as the Prince’s guard be _damned_. “Will you stop breathing down my fucking neck for five fucking minutes!?” She yelled in his face as she turned to find him only a foot behind her.

                Bardock only smirked down at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously at the sight of her fury. He knew exactly what he was doing; it was an old Saiyan tactic, courting a woman’s ire, and if done just right she would fly at him in anger, signaling the beginning of a physical altercation… something that she had been avoiding since meeting him.

                And when she fought him, she would lose, and she would be his.

                “No,” he replied softly in Saiyan when she only panted as she tried to keep from striking him. “Spar?” He suggested.

                “Not a chance,” she snapped out, her green eyes flickering with lightning as thunder was heard overhead, the noise silencing the entire temple.

                Bardock only grinned, knowing he was getting closer and closer to achieving his goal; age had taught him patience, and he had it in abundance. “Fuck?”

                “NO! NOW GET OUT OF MY FACE, SAIYAN!”

                The translator in his ear made him chuckle as he heard her yet again refuse to call him by his name, and he waited several moments, acting as if he was looking at a watch. “Now?”

                “Now what?” She ground out.

                “Fuck.”

                Mako’s sparring partner snagged her around the waist and drug her back just as she tensed to launch herself at Bardock, leading the goddess away as he spoke to her in low soothing tones about leashing her temper. “I don’t want to leash it,” she growled, “I want to pound his face in until I break my fingers.”

                “Goddess,” Ken sighed, “I really think you need a break.” He blushed before speaking again, but he was likely the only one with the balls to say it. “Maybe a relaxing trip to your sister’s temple?”

                The goddess of thunder sagged visibly and nodded. It wasn’t just anger that was pent up, oh no. It was sexual frustration, too; every time Bardock looked at her, every time he got almost close enough to touch, she found herself fighting an urge to tell him yes. “I’ll be indisposed for the rest of the day, Ken. You’re right, thank you. If… _he—“_ She ground her teeth again at the mere thought of Bardock. “—wants to know where I am, inform him that I’ve retired to my personal chambers and I will shock the fuck out of the first pair of balls to try and set foot in them.”

                Ken chuckled and nodded. “Understood, goddess.”

                Mako went straight to her chambers then, just long enough to wash and change into something much more feminine before she left the back way and headed for the Temple of Venus, but she was snagged by the arm halfway there and without even thinking, she sent a sharp jolt up the offender’s hand.

                “Fuck!”

                She turned at the sound of swearing in Saiyan and growled under her breath at the sight of Bardock… yet again. “I thought I said I wasn’t to be disturbed?”

                The translator in his ear had helped with quite a few words, but Bardock still sounded little better than a caveman in Solarian, his speech broken and his accent heavy as hell. “You say bed.”

                “I’ve changed my mind. Now go away before I get bitchy.”

                “Where go?”

                Closing her eyes and pinching her nose, Mako slowly counted to ten under her breath and ignored the amused chuckle coming from him. “I’m going to see my sister, not that it’s any of your business.”

                “Much sister.”

                “Yes. I have a lot of sisters. And I’m going to see one of them. Now go away; I highly doubt you’d like to join me,” she huffed. Wrong choice of words; just the thought of Bardock joining her in what she was about to do made her blush, and she inwardly sputtered at the immediate suspicion in his eyes.

                “You see Mina?” A roll of her eyes was enough for him, and Bardock grit his teeth and growled. “Why?”

                “Why not?”

                She was skirting the question, and that only made him angry. Dear gods, she’d better not be going to the Temple of Venus to get laid when he’d clearly laid claim to her… and in public, too. “ _K’sha m’yo_ ,” he grunted in Saiyan. _My mate._

                “I don’t understand, Saiyan.”

                He pointed at her then. “Mine,” he grunted.

                “No, I am _NOT_ yours!” She roared at him, drawing stares from everyone walking or standing in the street. “And the sooner you get that through your thick Saiyan skull, the sooner I won’t want to rip everyone’s throat out every five seconds! You’re making me _insane_!” Someone snagged her other arm just then, and Mako instinctively shocked the piss out of them only to hear a female yelp.

                “Mako! The fuck!?”

                “Damn it. Minako, I’m sorry! I was just headed to see you anyway before I was interrupted by a certain asshole.”

                “Come to ask advice about dealing with a Saiyan suitor?” Minako giggled before winking at Bardock.

                Bardock smiled and embraced one of his two new daughters when she offered it, purring gently in contentment as he scented that she was very likely pregnant. He wouldn’t say anything, though. It was too soon to know for sure, and it was his son’s right to spill the beans should he choose to. Switching to Saiyan, knowing that Mina could understand him if her mating bond was fully open, Bardock spoke to her alone, slightly pleased that he was annoying Makoto. “She said she was going to visit you, but I highly suspect that she’s…” Bardock sighed and shook his head. “She’d better not be going there for… you know.”

                Mina sighed and looked between the two of them; Mako sure could use some relief, it was clear in her stance and the clear tension in her muscles, but Mina knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were meant for each other. “Bardock, did you think that maybe she’s just going there for a massage? Something to relax her since you’ve got her climbing the walls and ready to scream her head off at you? Maybe this ‘courting her ire’ thing isn’t working. Honestly, it sounded like the dumbest thing I’d ever heard when Turles explained it to me.”

                “It’ll work, I assure you. She isn’t letting me do anything else other than piss her off, anyway.”

                “It’s been two _days_ ,” Mina sputtered. “Try being nice to her. Turles said that courting gifts might be the way to go… or you could, I don’t know, just take her out on a _date_?”

                “I’ll think about courting her,” he grunted, giving Mako a slow, burning look of desire. “Koto.”

                “What.” Mako stiffened the moment he took her arm for a second time, but she refrained from shocking him since Mina was still holding her other one. And when he leaned in and nipped affectionately at her shoulder, she jerked back and glared at him. “Don’t do that again, Saiyan.”

                “He was trying to be nice, it’s considered a tender gesture in his culture!” Her sister chastised her, slapping her arm. “Bardock, I’ll let you know when her massage is over with, and maybe you’ll have an acceptable gameplan by then,” Mina said in Saiyan.

                Makoto was already leaving them in her dust at that point, and she shrugged off her sister when Mina caught up. “Please tell me you’re not about to go see Enril,” the goddess of love whispered under her breath. “Mako, I’m telling you right now that it’s a very, _very_ bad idea. If you need some sexual release, you could talk it over with Bardock and maybe come to some sort of no-strings-attached agreement. At least for a night or something, I’m sure.”

                Mina blinked as her mate butted in through the bond. “Ok, fine. Turles says that his father’s too old for that, that he’d bite you whether you liked it or not. But still… Makoto, if Bardock smells another man on you, he’s going to flip his shit.”

                “I’m just going for a massage,” Mako assured her surprisingly smoothly. “But yes, I’ll be seeing Enril for it; he’s the best with his hands and you know it.”

                “I’m the first one to advocate your right to privacy in the temple as far as what you’re receiving is concerned, but…” The goddess of love sighed. “Mako, _please_ just make it only a massage and nothing else. Alright?”

                The thunder goddess didn’t answer one way or another; they were in the temple then, and talk about such things out in the open was frowned upon. One simply found a priestess and handed her a slip of paper that listed the requested services of the client, then they were ushered discreetly to a soundproof room where payment was made to the priest or priestess performing the services.

                Strangers to the temple sometimes scoffed and called it little more than a brothel, but it was honestly much, much more than that. It catered to both men and women, and Minako had said several times that sexual services weren’t requested as often as one would think. The lessons on wooing and giving pleasure to one’s lover were the hottest things offered, and when it was Mina’s turn to teach, the lesson room was always packed to the brim.

                Makoto didn’t even have to hand a priestess a scrap of paper; during the last several years, she only saw one priest whenever she came to the temple, which wasn’t as often as her sisters sometimes joked. She was pointed to a doorway, and she sighed with relief the moment she entered and found Enril already waiting, smiling gently at her as he gestured to the bed. “You look downright relieved just to be here, goddess,” he chuckled softly, his rich, low voice filling the room.

                The voice matched him; he was huge, tan and muscular, with shoulder-length black hair that he always kept tied back… at least until Mako buried her hands in it during the throes of her climax. She reflected right then that he could easily pass as a Saiyan at first glance and she blushed at the thought. “A certain someone has been breathing down my neck,” she admitted, “and it’s wonderful just to be away from him for five minutes.”

                “Five minutes?” Enril laughed as he helped her disrobe and he set out the massage oils. “Mako, give me some credit; you know that I last _much_ longer than just five minutes.” He noted her crimson face and smiled as he bent over her to press his lips to hers once she was nude and lying before him like some carnal offering. “So… what’s my favorite goddess’s pleasure?”

                She wanted more but… “Just a massage,” she sighed in defeat.

                Enril frowned at that. Not because he was upset, but because he was genuinely worried about her. “You seem awfully tense and aroused at the same time, Mako. Are you sure? I heard the thunder earlier and I checked; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Is it your Saiyan commander that’s annoying you so much?” He rolled her onto her stomach when she nodded and immediately began to drizzle oil over her back as he shook his head. “Maybe he should attend one of the wooing lessons if you haven’t gone to him for some relaxation.”

                “He’s older,” Mako ground out. “I think that has something to do with it. He’s some sort of traditionalist or whatever. And he’s made it his life’s mission to piss me off. Or make me crazy. I’m not sure which, but I’m starting to suspect that it’s some sort of Saiyan method of courting.” She immediately moaned and sagged into the bed as Enril began to work her shoulders and back expertly, his large, calloused hands knowing exactly where to go to shut her up.

                “He’s courting your ire,” Enril snickered. “He’s hoping you’ll try and hit him, which will start a fight. From what I’ve heard, he’s pretty strong, so he’d likely win. Then he would have full rights to bite and bed you… under Saiyan law and tradition, that is.”

                Makoto froze at that and rolled over, staring at Enril. “And how do you know all of this? I mean, for sure?”

                It was Enril’s turn to blush a little and he shrugged. “No one really knows, but… I’m actually an eighth Saiyan. And please… don’t tell anyone, goddess. I identify far more with my human roots, and I don’t really have much of an inner beast to speak of, nor have I ever been much of a ki fighter. I’d be considered third class at best.”

                She sighed and gave him a reassuring smile before leaning up for a friendly kiss. “Your secret’s safe with me, Enril. Huh… and I just thought a little while ago that you could pass as a Saiyan with that body.”

                “Heh, I know; I’ve been told by my mother that I look an awful lot like my great-grandfather, minus the tail and the long, unruly hair.” He rolled her back over then and he felt so much better knowing that he didn’t have to make excuses for why he could scent her growing arousal so well. “My sense of smell is very keen, too. That’s how I know when you want sex.”

                “I know,” she sighed. “But Minako… she suggested that it would be a very, very bad idea. And if Bardock found out, I’m sure that he would shit a brick. And since we’re trading secrets, Enril, I’m very attracted to him. But he won’t stop being a total dick for just a moment and it’s making me start to hate him. Honestly, part of me just wishes that he and I could have one sweaty night without any strings, just to clear the sexual tension between us.”

                “Yeah, that’s not possible,” he replied as he worked on her upper thighs. “He’ll bite you for sure. That’s got to be very frustrating, Mako. Wanting him, but not being able to do anything about it without a lifetime commitment.”

                “You ain’t no joke,” she groaned into the pillow, jumping slightly as his fingers grazed her sex.

                “Sorry, goddess. An accident, I promise,” he said quickly, moving his hands to her calves. “All the oil makes it easy to slip.”

                “Fuck it,” she sighed, knowing he hadn’t meant it. But it was the catalyst to make her throw caution to the wind. “Enril…?”

                The needy hint to her voice made him sigh in understanding and nod, sliding his hand back up to caress her outer folds. “You sure about this, Mako?”

                “Yes. No. I don’t know. Honestly, I’m far more worried about you getting ki blasted if Bardock ever finds out.”

                “I could properly wash you to get all of my scent off of you afterwards. No Saiyan would be able to tell,” Enril offered. “But only if _you_ want it, Makoto.”

                “I do want it but… I want _him_ ,” she admitted sullenly. “And at the same time I want to kill him for making me want him. I’ve never been this frustrated before, Enril.”

                He rose from the bed then and cut the lights off before shedding his priest’s wrap and climbing into bed with her. “Then close your eyes, Mako… and think of him as I pleasure you.” Enril chuckled into her hair when she jumped at that and protested immediately. “Hush. Mako, don’t think that it will hurt my feelings for a moment. I’m your friend, and I’m doing this to make you feel better. So close your eyes and enjoy yourself. Let it be Bardock loving you… and maybe in the process, you’ll discover some things about yourself and the way you feel about him.” When she was silent for a long moment, he could practically see her worrying her lower lip even though it was pitch black in the room. “Mako?”

                “Koto,” she whispered, her voice trembling as badly as the hands that lifted to stroke the definition of his chest. “He… he calls me ‘Koto.’”

                “Koto,” he breathed, brushing his mouth over hers.

                “You’ve done this sort of thing before?” She asked suddenly, her heart pounding as his oiled hands slid down her hips and he ground his partial arousal into her inner thigh.

                “You’d be surprised how many of my clients wish for someone they can’t have,” Enril sighed. “I try my best to give them the love they desire, if only for one night.”

                Normally she would have protested that it wasn’t love she wanted, it was just to get laid, but she found herself melting as his mouth feathered over her throat and his hands began to gently tease her breasts, coaxing her nipples into hard little peaks. It was then that her hands began to wander as well, tracing his abs and his back, her hips lifting in invitation as her imagination took over.

                It was no longer Enril worshipping her curves; it was Bardock, and her breathing grew heavy and erratic the more she came to believe the fantasy, the more he continued to gently, sweetly caress her body. “Bardock,” she whimpered softly, arching into him. She froze then and blushed in the dark, suddenly very self-conscious about the whole thing.

                “Shh… relax, Koto,” his voice breathed in her ear. “Let me give you what you need.”

                That low Saiyan voice was close enough in timbre to Bardock’s that she was immediately drawn right back into the fantasy and she drug his lips up to hers to kiss him, moaning into his mouth as his tongue dueled with hers and his fingers slipped between her legs to stroke her. “ _Bardock_ ,” she whispered as he drew away to fasten his mouth to one of her breasts, his fingers moving skillfully over her clit, rubbing and circling it just right to make her arch into him for more. “Please,” she begged weakly, “please, Bardock… I need you…”

                “Come for me, Koto,” he groaned against her breast. “Then you can have all of me.”

                She whimpered and arched as she felt him pressing against her entrance, only to stop and tease her opening as his fingers continued to please her. “So close… _please_ , Bardock, _please_ … _please make love to me_ … I need you inside of me…”

                Her nails digging into his back made him groan and nod into her shoulder before nipping at it lightly and then claiming her lips in a slow, passionate kiss, and he filled her slowly only to feel her immediately tighten around him and cry out her lover’s name as he slid home. “That’s it, Koto… again… come for me again…”

                It was then that Enril let his chest rumble in a gentle purr, something he’d never allowed before with a client, and it solidified the fantasy for her as he knew it would, sending her over the edge almost as soon as he began to flex his hips and steadily thrust into her. He smiled as Bardock’s name left her lips again in a soft, sweet whisper, and he took her just a little harder as he groaned in reply and she shuddered beneath him yet again. “ _M’yo… Koto m’yo_ …”

                “Yours!” She squeaked as she came yet again, unable to do anything but clutch at him desperately as he took her higher and higher with every climax, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as she kept time with the rocking of his hips.

                “I’m going to come… come with me, _r’sha_ … Koto… _r’sha m’yo… k’sha m’yo_ …”

                “Yes… I’m yours, _r’sha_ … please come inside of me… make me yours… oh gods… _Bardock_ … you feel so good…” Mako’s eyes rolled back as he drove forward harder, shoving her right over the cliff yet again just as she felt him fill her with his hot seed, his mouth descending to hers to kiss her hard and long.

                It was only after a long several minutes of kissing and gentle, tender petting in the aftermath that Makoto realized who she really was with, and she sighed and shook her head against his chest. “Enril… I… I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for this…”

                “The fact that I could purr and speak in Saiyan for once was payment enough,” he chuckled as he nipped at her ear. “I’ll write it off as just a massage, and I’ll take care of all the bed linens and everything myself. No one will know, Mako. I promise. Least of all Bardock. Who, by the way… you’re very much in love with,” he added smugly.

                “Excuse me?” She asked slowly.              

                “You called him _r’sha_. And besides, the pull **_is_** love. The truest definition of love at first sight. It just takes some people longer than others to come to terms with it,” he explained gently as he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed and licked soothingly at her throat.

                The thunder goddess simply sagged into him and sighed softly; maybe he was right. “Enril, we need to find you a girlfriend.”

                “Oh, I have one. And she’s very, very happy with my skill in bed,” Enril chuckled. “And yes, she’s just fine with my profession so long as I don’t bring any baggage home with me from it.”

                “Lucky woman,” Mako choked out.

                ################################

                Bardock immediately snagged Mako with his tail and drug her up to his chest to sniff her the moment she entered her own temple, and was a little surprised when she only glared up at him silently. He’d expected a struggle at the very least for such an invasion of personal space. “You good?” He grunted when he smelled only herself, a few hints of massage oil on her and the extremely faint, non-sexual touch of another male.

                She certainly looked like she felt better; there was an air of relaxation about her as she simply held still in his embrace. It set his beast to purring softly, and he felt a little flutter in his stomach when she immediately looked up at him and blushed. “Koto?”

                “Yeah,” she whispered, unable to separate what had just happened in the temple from this gorgeous warrior pressing against her. In her mind, it _could_ have been him making love to her only a couple hours ago, and she wondered if he would really be that thorough and attentive with her, that tender and loving. “I’m good. I’m going to my room, now. I’d… rather not be disturbed, if that’s alright.”

                If that’s alright? Bardock nearly laughed, but he was only worried by her subdued tone. Four hours ago, she would have been yelling at him to stay the fuck out of her quarters and leave her the hell alone, but… now she was _asking_? “Koto…” Damn this language barrier! “You good?” He asked again, hoping she’d understand his tone.

                She did. “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just very tired.”

                Bardock nodded then and scooped her into his arms, ignoring her surprisingly weak protest as he carried her through a door that led to her private rooms. It was a test to see if she’d fight him, and when she didn’t he only worried more. Something… something had happened. Tired or not, Makoto should have been putting him through a wall with a bolt of lightning and dancing on his nuts in pointy heels for such a bold, possessive move.

                Instead, she gave up after a single struggle and sighed, sagging into his arms and resting her head on his chest, her eyes slipping shut. His beast didn’t care how or why and was purring his head off happily at the implied trust, and he was a little disappointed when he finally made it to her room and had to set her down on the bed. “You sleep?” He asked gently, running his fingers through her hair as she looked up at him from her pillow.

                “Yeah,” she replied for the third time, deep in her own thoughts as she couldn’t help but lean into his touch. “I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow,” she continued, sitting up just enough to snag her covers and draw them up around her.

                “Koto…” Bardock sighed, cursing the language barrier yet again. “Want… want talk,” he finally managed. “Bite?” He asked softly, hopefully.

                She shivered at the mere thought, at the memory of teeth grazing over her shoulder while she’d been with Enril, how good it had felt, how it _had_ been Bardock in her mind and how she’d wanted him to clamp down on her shoulder. “No,” she finally replied, sounding a lot firmer than she felt on the subject.

                “Fuck?”

                Mako glanced up a little angrily until she saw the teasing light in his eyes, coupled with a smirk. “No,” she sputtered, rolling her eyes. No, she’d had enough of that for one day, thank you. Now she needed to think, to sort shit out, to decide what to do about his advances.

                Damn it, what had his son called that thing that the females on this planet liked to do? “Kiss?” He asked, completely unsure if he’d gotten the word right. The red coloring on her cheeks and the unsure look in her green eyes made him lean in most of the way, but he waited just in case she decided to say no.

                “Bardock… I—“

                The sound of his name on her lips—rather than the word “Saiyan”—made him lose his self-control, and he dipped his face down to cut her off with a simple pressing of lips, surprised at how pleasant the new experience was. “I stay,” he whispered as he pulled away, followed by a phrase in Saiyan spoken just as gently, something she didn’t understand.

                “Bardock, no, I—“

                “No fuck,” he assured her as he discarded his boots on the floor, followed by his armor. He then slid in beside her as if he lived there and this was his bed, not hers, and sighed at the look of trepidation in her eyes. “No fuck,” he breathed gently, kissing her once more, the barest touching of his mouth to hers. “Safe… keep safe. Sleep.”

                “Oh,” she replied softly, actually understanding this one gesture of Saiyan culture. “Nightguard.”

                “Yes,” Bardock replied in relief, pulling her tightly to him to bury his face in her hair. “ _K’sha m’yo._ Sleep safe.”

                _My mate._ There was that phrase again, and it gave her a strange feeling of déjà vu as his strong, masculine scent filled her nose, his purr of contentment in her ears and his tail feathering along her side. It was almost like… they’d been there before.

                Had they? No, that was impossible.

##########################################

                “You look like you could use some company.” Vegeta smirked when the queen jumped a mile high and ‘eeped’ a little at the sound of his voice in her ear.

                “ ** _Gods_**!” She yelled, blue eyes fuming as she smacked his arm with her book. “You could have announced your presence ten feet ago! Asshole,” she added with a grumble.

                “Would it have been nearly as entertaining?” Vegeta chuckled. He took a seat on the bench right next to her, his hip and thigh pressing to hers as he slung a companionable arm over her shoulders. He didn’t miss the little shiver running through her, either. “What are you reading?” He asked curiously. When she turned bright red and shook her head, Vegeta grinned. “Oh… and why are you turning that delightful shade, Serenity?”

                “Whoa! Uh-uh!” She yelled, skittering off of the bench and holding the book out of reach when he tried to snag it. Serenity played keep away with the book for a full minute as he chuckled and kept trying to grab the book out of her hands while she darted around the courtyard and tried her best to stay out of his reach.

                Then she realized that the Saiyan prince was just toying with her; he could have easily overpowered her at any moment and just plucked the book from her fingers without a second thought. “Gods, you’re such an ass, Vegeta.”

                “Oh, come on. Why so secretive, Sere? What’s so embarrassing about a little paperback novel? I’m sure it’s nothing I haven’t read before.”

                The queen snorted and fought the urge to burst into hysterical laughter. Just the mere idea of the prince reading _… that_! “Somehow I doubt it.”

                Sauntering up to her slowly, Vegeta didn’t think twice about invading her personal space, and trailed his fingertips down her arm to her wrist. He didn’t miss the way she shivered again, and smirked a little as he heard her heart speed up and scented a hint of growing arousal. His hand was nearly to the book when she suddenly pulled it out of his reach and shook her head. “Woman, you know damn well that I can just take that thing from you at any time. Hand it over,” he chuckled. “You’re just so stubborn, Serenity. It’s almost cute, you know.”

                He’d seen this side of her before the time shift, for a few, precious days that he would always think of happily, and Vegeta was immensely pleased to see the real Serenity beneath the surface once more. And so quickly, too! He hadn’t even bothered her in a couple of days, but this morning—right after she’d rejected yet another proposal of marriage—he’d promised her that he’d see her later. And right then, she’d actually smiled at him; not that magnanimous, humoring smile that she usually gave him, but a real smile. Like the one she’d given him in the hall the very first morning back, when he’d held her tightly in relief.

                When he tried to grab the book once more, she thought fast and grinned in triumph as she shoved the book up her shirt and into no man’s land. “Ha!” Surely he wouldn’t be stupid enough to actually—Serenity squealed when he jerked her tightly to his chest, his tail and arm like a pair of vices around her waist; as hard as she struggled, there was no getting loose. “You wouldn’t,” she growled dangerously when she felt his free hand stroke the bare skin of her stomach. “Don’t you dare, Vegeta. I’m warning you.”

                “Oh, I **_would_** ,” he breathed in her ear. “And just what are you going to do about it, woman? Scream for your guards? Those pitiful excuses for soldiers,” he snorted in contempt. “I’ll have this book and be out of sight before they even get in here, Sere.”

                “You are such an **_ass_**!” She sputtered.

                “So you’ve told me.” He nipped at her ear then, and laughed softly at the sound of her gasp as he smoothed his hand up her shirt, stroking the bare skin as he reached his prize. His lips twitching up in a smirk, he turned his face so that his mouth was hovering just over hers. “It wouldn’t be polite to feel a lady up without at least giving her a kiss.”

                “Vegeta…” She warned, glaring defiantly up at him. Serenity gasped as his lips pressed against hers lightly, just barely moving before he pulled away after several long moments. She’d expected hot and raw… and that kiss had been… gentle. Tender, even. And there had been this spark between them during that brief contact of their mouths, something that had stunned her momentarily, just like the last kiss in the hallway. “Geta?”

                The prince smirked at the half-lidded look on her face, the way her blue eyes had grown a little smoky… and the way she’d called him ‘Geta’ for the first time since he’d begun this second chance had his beast purring loudly. Then he nipped at her lower lip as he released her, waving his prize tauntingly over her head. “It seems you’re missing something, Majesty.”

                “Give it _back_ , Vegeta!” She cried, instantly forgetting the heat that had been between them as she jumped up and tried to grab it. Her face colored immediately when he began to read the back of the book, and she looked around to find a hole to stick her head in.

                Vegeta chuckled softly as he began to read a few words aloud here and there, just to embarrass her further. “Unbridled passion… greatest romance of the century… hmm, you like this sort of thing, woman?” He asked, lifting a single brow.

                “I borrowed it from Minako,” she admitted meekly. “Now just give it back. Please?”

                “Oh, no. I’ve never read this sort of thing before. Perhaps it would be… educational?” He flipped a few pages, easily keeping out of her reach as he used his Saiyan speed to dart ten feet away here and there if she drew too close. “Oooo! I believe this is where you marked your place, Serenity!” He teased. “’His hot, throbbing manhood plunged into her, and she moaned with delight to finally feel her lover filling her…’ Oh **_my_** , Serenity! You’re such a **_naughty_** girl!” Vegeta chuckled. He read a few more paragraphs as his intended simply hid her face in her hands, and his eyes popped a little as he reached something that just sounded… sinful. “Damn, woman! These two are really getting it on!” He exclaimed. “Who writes this shit, anyway?” He flipped the book over, but it was so old that he could only make out the first name on the cover. “Megan… something. Good lord, this woman can write some fucking **_smut_**!” His face turned thoughtful as he kept reading and he licked his lips, thinking over an idea. “I don’t suppose Minako has a second copy of this?” He asked seriously.

                Serenity peeked through her fingers and nodded a little. Hang on… was the Saiyan prince… blushing? She lowered her hands and it was her turn to grin at him teasingly. “What, Geta…? Does reading about that particular position… _embarrass_ … the great Saiyan warrior?”

                “ _Reading_ , yes,” he admitted with a mumble as he continued to read where he’d left off. _Performing, no_ , he added silently. “Damn,” he breathed. “ ** _That’s_** a new one. Hell, I’d like to give _that_ the old college try,” he muttered to himself. “Hot damn!” He snorted after another minute. “Gods, this woman is a smut goddess! I envy the man that tested this shit out with her. I wonder if some of this is even possible!”

                “Minako assures me that it is,” Serenity informed him, closing in during his distraction. She lightly plucked the book from his calloused hands and swiftly shoved it in her subspace, unsure as to why she hadn’t done that in the first place.

                “Is there even any plot to that book, or is it all hot and sweaty sex?” Vegeta asked, clearly curious.

                Serenity shrugged, unable to keep herself from smiling softly at the blush creeping over his face; she wondered if he had any clue how adorable he looked right at that moment. “Go ask Minako for another copy of it and I’m sure you’ll find out.”

                “I don’t suppose you’d get one for me?”

                “Tsk, tsk, Vegeta. Are you too embarrassed to go get one for yourself? You might find a few more interesting novels in Minako’s private library, you know. She has a ton of books by this particular author—Megan was a **_very_** devoted acolyte of the love goddess, you know—along with copies of the Kama Sutra… and a few other fun things.”

                “I am _not_ asking the goddess of lust for a copy of… **_that_** ,” he said flatly. “Turles would never let me hear the end of it.”

                Her embarrassment forgotten at the very sight of his beet red face, Serenity giggled and shook her head. “You act like you’ve never read a trashy romance novel in your life, Geta. Gods… even my daughter’s read some of the smut-free, fluffier stuff.” At that thought, she realized that it might be time to let Chibi-Usa peruse Mina’s library freely; her daughter had returned from the temple the other night, seemingly deep in thought, and had merely thanked her mother for letting her have such a wonderful experience. Though she didn’t know the details—and probably didn’t want to if there had been a show and tell—Mina assured her that Chibi-Usa was fine and hadn’t been scarred for life.

                “We don’t write about mating on Vegeta-sai, woman. We’d rather go out and participate in it,” he snorted. “So… would you get me a copy? For educational purposes, of course,” he added hurriedly.

                “Well… I suppose I couldn’t deny such a request for… **_higher_** learning,” she mused, removing the book from her subspace. She quickly noted the page she was on before handing the book over. “Here, I’ll get another copy for myself later on.”

                Vegeta eyebrows shot up a little as he took the book, brushing his fingers over hers. “No need. I’m a fast reader; I’ll have it back to you in a couple of hours. You _could_ test me on what I’ve learned from it, if you’d like,” he added with a smirk. “Page forty-two looked like a bit of a challenge, even for me.”

                “Not a chance, Saiyan no Ouji.”

                Flipping through the first few pages, he grinned and tipped her a wink. “How about page six? We can work our way up from there.”

                “Page six…?” She asked in confusion, holding her hand out for the book. She skimmed the page quickly, her face growing brighter with every line. “Um… that’s a _little_ fast, don’t you think? Besides, that’s a dream sequence, anyway. The heroine is fantasizing about the hero.” Not wanting to get on the subject of what _she’d_ been fantasizing about—one daydream in particular involved a certain prince and the hallway wall leading towards her room—Serenity flipped forward a little further and had no clue what possessed her to do so, but she stopped on page twenty. “That’s more like it.”

                Amazed that she’d be willing to do anything with him from that book, Vegeta snatched it back and slowly smiled as he read it over. He didn’t need a second invitation as he jerked her against his chest tightly and lowered his mouth to hers, purring happily as she returned the kiss hesitantly.

                She moaned a little as he deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue over the crease of her mouth to coax her to open to him, and she found herself bunching her fingers in his hair and breathing heavily as their tongues touched and began to move slowly against each other. Serenity gasped when he transferred the book to his tail and used his free hand to cup her breast through her shirt, and she quickly pulled back enough to talk. “That’s page twenty-one, Vegeta.”

                “Just skipping ahead to the good smut,” he chuckled lightly, nipping at her lower lip. “Maybe we can try page twenty-one—“ He used his tail to hold the book up and turn a page, and grinned at her lecherously. “—through page twenty-three when I’ve finished reading it?”

                Serenity squinted her eyes to read over it quickly, and turned beet red. “Uh… no.”

                His hand still in place, he couldn’t help but brush his thumb over her hardening nipple as he thought of how much he cared for her and how much he simply wanted to throw her down right there in the courtyard and pleasure her. But no, he knew from firsthand experience that that was not the best course of action. Gods, he’d fucked it up so badly before, and he wouldn’t risk wasting this second chance.

                “Geta?” For a moment there, he’d looked almost… sad, and she suddenly didn’t regret allowing that kiss. Serenity didn’t know why he was sad, but she did have an idea as to what would cheer him up. “When you’re done reading… I might try pages…” She glanced at the book and blushed brightly. “Twenty-one and twenty-two. _Maybe_ ,” she added quickly. “But if you start quoting the damned characters, I’m kicking you out of my room,” she warned.

                Her room? She was actually inviting him to her room? Well, this was a pleasant new development. “You sure you want the big, bad warrior prince in your room, Majesty?”

                “Well, it would be embarrassing to try page twenty-two in the hallway,” she replied tartly. “Besides,” she added, as she slipped out of his arms, “ **my** rooms are soundproof. Yours aren’t.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Blue?” Nappa whined a little, flaring his ki some to get her attention. She hadn’t come up the day before, and he was starting to worry more than a little that he’d done something wrong with the flowers and the book. His Blue had already been in the water when he’d arrived and hadn’t even looked up to give him a scathing glance.

                Nothing.

                Looking up at a passing priestess—they’d more than gotten used to his presence by then—Nappa asked if there was any way for him to communicate with the goddess below. “Please?” He asked, trying not to sound soft as he glanced back down at the object of his affections.

                With a sympathetic smile, the priestess left and returned shortly after with a dry erase board that had a cord attached to it and a marker. “It’s water-proof, but you can wipe it off with friction. Happy hunting,” she chuckled before leaving him to it.

                Nappa actually thanked her as she left and paused for a moment before slowly writing out his message in Solarian; he could speak it, but his memory of their goofy-ass alphabet was hazy at best. Finally satisfied after five minutes that she could read it, Nappa hovered over the water and held onto the cord as his message sank to the bottom.

                Looking up, broken from her deep immersion in the book he’d given her, Ami was surprised to see the board coming down; it was normally used only in emergencies. Was something wrong? She grasped it quickly, sighed, then giggled as she looked at his handwriting. _Dear Hermes… it’s as if he’s in first grade._ His E’s were all backwards and the message was written in all capital letters, but after studying the grossly misspelled words, Ami deciphered it.

                _AHMEE,_

_PLEEZ CUM UP. IM SORREE IF I DID SUMTHING TO MAK YU MAD._

Her anal retentive brain itched to correct the message and send it back up for him to fix, but Ami just rolled her eyes at herself and replied in Saiyan for his benefit, touched that he’d made the effort to communicate in her own language.

                Nappa pulled the board out of the water and read it greedily, his lips spreading in a slow, wide smile.

                _Nappa,_

_I’m not mad, I’m just reading the book you gave me. It’s very interesting. Why do you think I’d be angry with you?_

He erased it quickly and sent the board back down after several minutes, and Ami giggled again as he stuck to Solarian.

                _BLU,_

_CUM UP AND TALK? PLEEZ? SWAR I WILL NOT TAK YU._

Gathering the book and the board, Ami swam up and smiled at him as her head broke the surface. “We need to work on your spelling, big guy. In Solarian, we have these things called ‘silent E’s’ and an O-U and E-A combination that would make any Saiyan crazy.”

                “Your alphabet also has too many damned letters,” he countered with a chuckle. “Why do you need so many? And why do you need X, Y and S? You have K, U and Z. They all make the same noise.”

                “Hey, I didn’t invent it,” she snickered as she swam towards the edge and sat the board and the book on the edge. But before she could haul herself up, she felt a pair of strong arms around her waist doing it for her and she shivered at the warmth against her back. “Nappa…”

                Hearing the warning in her tone, he placed her gently on the concrete and wrapped her in a towel before sitting beside her. “I wasn’t getting fresh,” he assured her.

                Deciding to change the subject, Ami grabbed the board and the marker and corrected his last message. “See?”

                “O does not make an ‘uh’ sound,” Nappa snorted. “And why bother with the E at the end? It makes no sense… ah, the E-A thing you mentioned… and yet again, a useless E at the end of the word…” He huffed and shook his head. “No. Take is not spelled like that. Hell, we only use one glyph for it in Saiyan, woman.”

                “No, you use several different glyphs, depending upon the level of vulgarity associated with the word,” Ami countered, laughing as she shook her head. “You Saiyans have as many different symbols for ‘fight’ as you do for ‘fuck.’” She blinked when he took the board from her, erased it with his arm, and handed it back a moment later.

                _Mate?_

“No.”

                “I was just proving you right, Blue. And I also beg to differ. We have more words for eating than any other word in our language. Fighting is next. Then fucking,” he informed her with a sheepish grin. “Though I’ve heard that the scholars are trying to come up with more for the last one.”

                _The three F’s of the Saiyans_ , Ami thought with a silent, dark snicker. Fighting, Food and Fucking. Though not always in that order. Her smile died when she turned her head to find him gazing down at her lustfully, even though there was more than just a hint of tenderness in his eyes. “I… um… I’d better get back down there.”

                “No, Blue. Sit with me for a while. I like talking with you,” he rumbled softly, daring to stoop low enough to tentatively press his lips to hers. He held up a book from his tail belt when she pulled back, a smile creeping over his mouth. “I brought something in exchange. May I kiss you now, Ami?” The blush creeping over her face was all the answer he needed, and Nappa dipped back in to taste her lips, his fingers linking with hers as she took the offered courting gift and he felt a soft moan vibrate against his mouth. The kiss intensified as his tail wrapped around her waist and tugged her into his lap, his purr hitching and stuttering a new pattern meant to seduce as his hands began to wander her and he felt her tongue sliding over his lower lip.

                Ami blinked and gasped for air when Nappa broke the kiss, leaning into the fingers stroking down her jaw-line and blushing at the other one cupping her breast. “Nappa?” She asked breathlessly.

                “I nearly broke my promise,” he whispered, kissing her gently once more before he sat her back down on the concrete. “Sorry, Blue.”

                “It’s ok,” she said a little nervously. “I mean… you didn’t, after all. So, um… what did you want to talk about?”

                “I don’t care, Ami. I just want to hear your voice and have you near.” It was sappy but true, and Nappa sighed as he reflected—not for the first time—that he was behaving very unlike a hardened Saiyan general. Damn it if this woman hadn’t managed to turn one of the most ruthless warriors on Vegeta-sai into a whining, mewling brat.

                Ami just smiled shyly and nodded, fiddling with the embroidered sigil of Mercury on her one piece swimsuit as she thought of how right it had felt in his arms, how she’d wanted more of him. All of him, in fact. She’d wanted nothing more than to just relax against him and let him strip her of her bathing suit and—dear gods, was it the pull they’d felt…? Or was she really in love with him? “Nappa… would you… I don’t know… like to have supper with me, maybe? If you promise that you can behave, that is,” she added quickly when he turned his head sharply in surprise.

                Nappa swallowed, nodded, then after a thought he quickly shook his head. “Sorry, Blue. But no.” The frank disappointment in her eyes made him sigh. “Not your fault, Blue. The full moon starts tonight and I’d rather not risk breaking my vow. How the Saiyans on this planet tolerate a full moon so damned often is insane,” he remarked.

                “I know, your months are what? Sixty days?”

                “Ninety,” he replied. “And our years are a little longer even though our planet goes around our sun faster than yours does. It gets confusing if I think about Solarian months and years for too long,” he admitted.

                “I liked the flowers, by the way,” she said quickly. “Where did you find them? That lily, it only grows in—“

                “I know,” he replied with a shrug. “I flew around the planet a few times until I read the map right and located the right habitat.”

                “Egypt is an awfully long ways away.”

                “Didn’t matter,” he answered. “They made you happy. I… I brought you…” Nappa actually blushed a bit as he reached into his armor and handed her a blue rose. “Michiru would only let me take one; she said that they’re too rare for a handful.”

                “They are,” Ami replied softly, amazed that her sister had even given up _one_. “I’ll preserve it so that it won’t die,” she whispered as she stroked the tender, light-blue petals. “Thank you, Nappa.”

                He purred happily as she rose up onto her knees and kissed him then; it wasn’t passionate like the last one, but it filled him with glee… and with hope.

########################################

                “You still haven’t told her?” Broly sighed, sagging onto his bed heavily. “Rabbit, I know you’re scared, but—“

                “I know, I know!” Chibi-Usa whimpered, flopping back onto the top covers right along with him. “And I’m not even scared of what she’ll do to me! Remember the last time!? That’s going to look like a fucking love tap compared to this time! We’re on her turf, now! At least the first time you had some sort of immunity because we were on Vegeta-sai!”

                “Actually, I do have diplomatic immunity as part of Vegeta’s guard detail… but I don’t think your mother will give two shits about that. **_Shit_** , we can’t use that anyway, our story’s supposed to be that I’m an acolyte for your aunt,” he groaned. “What about Turles? I thought he was going to tell her?”

                Usa sighed and shook her head. “He said he would, but… I think he’s just as scared as I am.” A very long silence passed between them in which Broly merely held her with his tail and they drew in each other’s scents. “Ok,” she finally whispered. “Stay put, I’ll be back… hopefully in one piece.”

                “No,” Broly grunted softly. “I’m no coward, Rabbit. I’ll get down on my knees in front of your mother and properly ask for your hand. I’ll do it right this time around and hopefully your mother won’t be as angry with me. Hang on and let me get my formal armor on. I won’t go in half-naked.”

                “Yeah… you’d _better_ get that armor, _r’sha_. Maybe a tank, too. Because you’re going to fucking need it.”

############################

                Halfway through the book Serenity had lent him, Vegeta grumbled as he fished for his beeping scouter and donned it with annoyance. “What!?” He barked. “I’m in the middle of something!”

                “Vegeta, you need to hurry to the palace _now_!” Rei yelled at him. “I just saw Broly and Chibi-Usa walking there, and Broly was dressed in formal Saiyan attire and the princess was in her gown… without _anything_ covering her mark.”

                “Oh, fuck a duck running… of all the… **_fine_**! I’m on it!” He snapped, leaving his book on his bed as he quite literally flew down the hallways leading towards the queen’s quarters. He was moving so fast that he actually ran into Broly, laid him out flat on his back, and growled down at the younger Saiyan. “Are you out of your fucking mind, puppy!? Has the full moon addled your goddamned head!? And you!” He added to the princess, “cover that fucking mark right now! Are you _trying_ to give your mother a fucking coronary!?”

                “I _remember_ , Vegeta Ouji, and I’m surprised you’d even fucking care,” Usa hissed up at him as she retrieved a matching shawl from her subspace and settled it around her shoulders.

                Releasing the Saiyan warrior towering over him to back Usagi up against the wall, Vegeta leaned over her and growled softly under his breath. “I’m trying to fucking fix this, little girl. Don’t you forget it. And if you breathe a word of it to your muh—“ He was cut off as a snarling Broly yanked him away from his mate and both of their kis spiraled upwards, Broly’s hair flickering for a brief moment in his rage.

                That stopped Vegeta dead, and he knew he hadn’t imagined it a second time in two timelines. Broly was damned close to going Legendary in defense of his mate… and gods help them all if he was pushed to that point. “Boy, you lay hands on me again and we’re going to brawl,” he warned softly despite the trickle of fear crawling down his spine.

                “Take that threatening posture with my mate again and I’ll rip your royal fucking throat out!” Broly snarled right back.

                “ ** _Just what in the hell is going on_**!?” Serenity yelled as she slammed open the door leading to her quarters. “I can hear all the yelling in my room and it’s soundproof!”

                Vegeta shot both of the brats a scathing glare that commanded them to shut the hell up before he turned to the queen, huffing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, Sere… I think we’d best discuss this all in private, alright?”

                “Serenity Usagi the Third, what in the hell is going on?” Serenity the Second snapped out in a clipped tone, eyeing her male companion suspiciously. “And who is this?”

                “Mother,” Usagi started bravely, pushing her way out from behind Broly, “I don’t want to marry Helios. I—“

                Vegeta immediately clapped his hand over the girl’s mouth and growled right back at Broly when the younger Saiyan snagged his mate with his tail and drug her back into his arms, purring the moment his beast felt she was safe.

                All of that possessive posturing could only mean one thing. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking _kidding_ me!” Serenity barked out. “Show me your shoulder this **_instant_** young lady! And if it’s marked, so help me gods I’m going to—“

                “ _It’s my fault_!” Vegeta said quickly, drowning out both kids when they tried to pipe up over the queen. “They felt the pull for each other and I was trying like hell to tell you somehow when Broly got it in his head that he was going to elope with your daughter. So I took the more preferable route to letting Usagi get kidnapped, and I secretly set it up for them to pairbond at your sister’s temple. There! It’s out! Now kill me and get it over with!” He ground through his teeth, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

                Broly and Usa’s eyes were both ridiculously wide with surprise, but they agreed through the bond to let Vegeta continue; fuck, he was taking the fall for them! And honestly…? His story was a shit-ton better than theirs!

                “Let me see,” Serenity whispered, her voice dangerously soft. Her eyes and hair shifted to silver at the sight of Chibi-Usa’s very liberally marked shoulder, and her hands shook as she tried to control her temper. “And you, young man.” Broly unstrapped his shoulder armor and sighed as he bared his own mark, but when he tried to open his mouth, his mate shut him up quickly with a shake of her head. “I will deal with you two when I can look at either of you without putting you through a wall,” the queen grit through her teeth. “And _you_ ,” she snarled, pointing at Vegeta, “will come with me immediately.”

                The prince simply followed her as she led him into her private chambers, and immediately caught her swinging hand as it came at his face. “Woman,” he breathed softly, “I will never ever strike you, and I would ask the same respect in return.”

                Blinking in surprise at both her loss of temper and at his gentle tone, Serenity didn’t utter a word of protest when he kissed her knuckles and released her hand. “My apologies. You’re absolutely right, Prince Vegeta.”

                Great. It was ‘Geta’ only two hours ago, and now they were back to formalities. _Thanks a lot, you stupid brats,_ he grumbled to himself. “And I much preferred the golden goddess I saw this morning,” he added softly. “You’re too distant in this form, Sere.”

                “Don’t get off the subject, Vegeta.” Arms folded over her chest, Serenity began to pace her room furiously as she grumbled in Lunarian under her breath. Finally, she stopped and glared at him. “What made you think you had the right to set my daughter up with one of your guards?”

                “They felt the pull and Broly immediately came to me and informed me of it the day that it happened. Your daughter wanted to tell you, but she was terrified of your reaction and Broly came up with the **_genius_** fucking idea to run away to Vegeta-sai. Of course, I forbade it, but you know as well as I that the pull is a very strong thing. Combine that with youth and stupidity and runaway hormones…” Vegeta merely shrugged. “I didn’t want them to run, Sere. That would have only worried you more than _anything_ , having your daughter off-planet. So I chose the lesser of the two evils. I snuck Broly in through the back of the temple and replaced the masseuse with him. I’m sure we can both guess at the rest… sorry to say that I didn’t stay to witness the consummation,” he snorted dryly.

                She ignored his snarkiness in light of another question. “And where was Minako in all of this?”

                “Blissfully ignorant and being seduced by her mate, per my orders. Turles didn’t know why, either, I just told him to go find his mate and fuck her brains out while I handled something. As one of my Elite, he knows not to ask questions.”

                “Your eyes are turning brown, Vegeta.”

                “I’m _not_ full of shit,” he grumbled almost petulantly.

                “Soooo full of shit. There is no way in hell that you orchestrated all of this by _yourself_ , with only mine and my daughter’s well-being in mind. It’s just… _not you_.” The sharp look of hurt in his eyes stabbed at her the moment the words were out of her mouth, and Serenity immediately regretted them. “Your Highness, forgive me. I did not mean to be so insulting. Of course you care or… you wouldn’t obviously be taking **_all_** of the blame for everyone that I’m sure was involved in this little circus of an impromptu Saiyan marriage.”

                “It was only me, I assure you,” Vegeta reiterated, his voice slightly cold as his wooden face slipped back into place. The implication that he cared for no one but himself still stung despite her apology, and it would smart for a long while.

                “Do I look stupid to you, Vegeta?”

                “No, but I was _hoping_ for naïve gullibility,” he replied sardonically. “Are we done here? Or are we about to argue some more?”

                “Am I boring you, Your Highness?” Serenity asked nastily.

                “No, but you are dangerously close to making me yell at you, and I’d much rather not,” he admitted seriously, his eyes softening a little as he took in her rigid form. That was when his beast overrode him, and he was suddenly dragging her up against him and kissing the daylights out of her, his chest running like a motor as he devoured her lips hungrily and lost control of his wandering hands. His beast couldn’t stand to see her upset and it went with what it thought would always work—distraction by way of an orgasm or ten.

                But she was pulling out of his arms despite the fact that she was returning his kisses, her hands wandering as well, though not quite as freely as his. “No, Vegeta. No,” she said a second time, not quite as breathlessly as the first. “We can’t solve things this way.”

                “Look,” he grunted. “They love each other. That would be enough for me if she was my daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I’d probably slap Broly around a little bit, but I’d get the fuck over it. Besides,” he added after a long, silent moment’s thought, “your first life, with you first mate… wouldn’t you have wanted someone in _your_ goddamn corner back then, Sere? From what I hear, it didn’t go too fucking smoothly. That you were just as terrified of your mother’s reaction as Usa is of yours. You were just as stupid, naïve and immature as she is, and you knew without a fucking doubt that you could take on the world and come out smelling like a rose. Don’t you remember what it was like to be a stupid, hopeful, romantic… and utterly _retarded_ with raging hormones teenager?”

                “No. Do you?”

                Vegeta snorted at that and actually laughed. “Yes. Every full moon, and every goddamn burning.” He didn’t have to remind her that the full moon was that very night.

A hint of a blush colored his cheeks as he made eye contact with her and they both expectedly flinched. “And right now,” he admitted in exasperation. “Honestly, Sere… I wish you’d just let me bite you and fuck your brains out and just get it out of the way,” he sighed.

                “Oh, yay. How romantic!” She gushed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just what I always wanted. A Saiyan warrior to… _fuck my brains out_.”

                “Fine, woman. I want you to let me claim you and make sweet, sweet, passionate love to you until sunrise,” he replied bitterly. “Does that make it sound so much better?”

                “Yes.”

                “When we both know that it’s going to be messy, sloppy, crazy-ass swinging-from-the-ceiling, slamming you into the wall monkey sex?” Vegeta chuckled.

                Serenity blushed, but she couldn’t help but remember a particular move of Minako’s. “Are you suggesting the Italian Chandelier?”

                “If it involves fucking you stupid while hanging upside-down using only my ki for balance, then yes,” he replied flatly, taking a seat on the edge of her bed as if he owned it. Thank the gods, he had her distracted, and it looked like she was actually going to crack a smile, but then she frowned and shook her head.

                “Close enough, then.” Serenity started pacing again, her mind back on her daughter and how to break her betrothal to Helios, when she was stopped by a solid wall of muscle and scooped into Vegeta’s arms. “Excuse you!? I don’t know who you think you are, Vegeta, but—“

                “Sere, please just shut the fuck up and calm down.” He laid her down on her stomach then, with his hand just behind her head… which rose up and smacked right into his palm when she tried to bolt upright. He chuckled at the dirty look she gave him then and laid down beside her, massaging her shoulders idly with one hand. “Relax. I already know what you’re thinking, and I’ll handle the Prince of the Sun. Ok?” Vegeta turned her face to his then and brushed his lips over hers. “Honestly, Sere? The only fucking thing I want you pondering hard enough to make you pace is how and when you’re finally going to surrender to me. Everything else… I’ll take care of it.”

                Vegeta grinned when he watched her lips twitch momentarily, her eyes flickering to blue as they twinkled with laughter. “Oh come on. Laugh. It was funny… because I’m positive that you’re about to give me a list as long as my dick.”

                “Quite perceptive… except for the dick thing. It’s a lot longer than just three inches, Vegeta.”

                “Woman…” He warned softly.

                “Set yourself up for it,” she replied smugly, her hair slowly melting to gold as his purr started up and he snuggled in next to her, his hand still working over her back muscles as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

                “I’d be more than happy to prove you wrong,” he purred, nipping lightly at her shoulder.

                “I’m sure you would,” she replied tartly. Unbeknownst to Vegeta, his scent was immensely relaxing her more than anything, making her simply _unable_ to worry about her daughter and the mess she’d gotten herself into. And Serenity was fighting the urge to pull him on top of her, to nervously ask him to just take her.  “But nope. I’ll pass. You haven’t finished that book yet, anyway. Because if you had, you’d be gloating about it and barking orders to get in the bed and try page twenty-one.”

                “I’ve passed that part if you’d like to test my knowledge, woman,” Vegeta said smoothly.

                “Finish the book,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Then maybe we’ll talk. Maybe.” Probably.

####################################

                “Well? How’s it going? Was the virgin juice enough to track her down?”

                “Unless you’re going to sit in front of me and direct my powers properly to the sacred fire,” Mina muttered out of the side of her mouth, “shut the fuck up, Rei. I’m trying to concentrate.”

                “Wait. Wait, wait, wait,” Turles said quickly. “Does anyone know what her ki feels like?”

                “We can’t read ki,” Rei sighed.

                Raditz stepped forward and smirked at his mate. “But I do.” He grinned when she gasped at the sensation of him delving boldly into her mind, and when he found it, he closed his eyes in concentration. “Why we didn’t think of this before…” He sighed and shook his head as he searched in ever-widening circles. “I’m coming up with nothing. The only ki I feel outside of the city is…”

                “Nooooo,” Rei sputtered, seeing it in his mind. “Search behind it, Raddy! If she’s there…”

                “Oh, shit,” Turles groaned, followed by Mina, who was reading her mate’s thoughts. “She’s there,” he confirmed. “I sense a flicker of someone else’s ki behind his and… oh **_damn it all to hell_**.”

                “What do we do?” Minako asked softly. “As injured as she likely was from the time shift, he’d likely—“

                “He’d kill us for interfering,” Raditz said flatly. “We leave them be for now, wait a few more weeks, then we check it out. No point in risking lives. If she’s still alive after all of that, I have no doubt that she’ll pull through.”

                “Gods,” Rei whined, “and don’t tell Serenity, either. She’s already having a meltdown about Chibi-Usa and we don’t need to add to it with this!”

####################################

                Blinking her eyes open sleepily, Makoto moved to stretch, only to find herself effectively pinned by an arm… and a tail… and a pair of spandex-clad legs entwined with her own. “Paintball shitfuck,” she murmured, her face coloring brightly at the memory of everything that had happened the day before. Dear gods, in her haze of half-sleep, her brain and body wanted to believe that it had actually been Bardock inside of her and then they’d fallen into bed and passed out afterwards. “Don’t be stupid,” she breathed to herself. “You don’t even like him, Mako. You can’t possibly…” Then she felt him shift a little and that damnable purring started up once again, heating her blood as a result, and she mentally cursed at how she could suddenly feel the definition of every muscle pressing against her. “No, damn it,” she growled softly, “you are not going to start touching him, let alone running your tongue all over him.”

                Bardock chuckled at that as the translator in his ear picked up every word and did its job. He’d been trying to be quiet, but that last line made him crack up a little. “Go for it,” he purred in Saiyan, dipping his face to the base of her throat to stroke his tongue over her pulse, followed by a gentle bite to it, then her collarbone, then her shoulder.

                Mako trembled as he slowly raised his head and gave her a smoldering look that promised her anything she could want from him if she’d just submit to him… and she nearly did, just from that look alone. “No,” she barely managed. “Please… please don’t, Bardock…”

                “I love it when you say my name,” he rumbled in his native language, stroking her hair back from her face as his hands slowly traced her spine. “Koto _m’yo_ …”

                “I’m not yours,” she whispered, but it sounded weak even to her own ears.

                Bardock shook his head and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat up. He was warring with his own instincts to piss her off and maybe get her to fight him so he could claim her; after all, it was how he’d been raised and how he’d procured his first mate. But this woman… so far, being kind and gentle had gotten him farther with her than anything. Maybe a compromise? “Koto.”

                Her green eyes focused on her lap as she thought hard about everything that had happened yesterday, she didn’t even hear him until he said her name again and brushed her cheek with his tail. “Hm?” At first she thought he was pantomiming biting her shoulder and she rolled her eyes a little, but then he huffed and made the motion again. “Oh. Eat?”

                “ _G’in_.”

                “Is that a yes?” She sighed. “Oh, fuck it. I may as well learn some damned words in Saiyan since you’re all seducing the fuck out of my sisters.”

                “ _G’in_ ,” he repeated. “Yes. _F’ri_ , no.”

                “How in the hell do you guys put those spaces in there?” She sputtered after trying out the words for herself and having trouble with the glottal stops. When Bardock merely shrugged and shook his head, she smiled. “Yeah, I guess our language seems just as ridiculously hard to you.”

                “Yes,” he agreed, his accent so heavy on the word that it came out as ‘jesh’. “Eat?” He inquired again. “Spar?”

                “No,” she said firmly. “No sparring, Bardock. I’ve already told you.” Then he shook his head, clearly frustrated with the language barrier, and fluffed his tail fur in agitation. “Hang on,” she sighed as she reached into her subspace. Mako dug around for a good long while and actually had her head shoved into the damned thing before she pulled out a piece of tech that would have been covered in dust if not for the stasis in the subspace, and sighed as she thumped it down on the bed. “I’m not much about computers,” she sighed, “but at Ami’s insistence, I have one. Hang on, let me see if I can find a translator or something online; I don’t feel like finding one like what you have and dealing with the programming.” She blinked at that and studied him carefully. “Huh… did you get someone else to figure that thing out or did you…?”

                Bardock shrugged and pointed at himself. He’d always been good with all sorts of tech, but that wasn’t exactly something for a Saiyan commander to be overly proud of. It was just a handy skill and nothing more.

                “Shit. **_You_** do it, then,” she snorted, shoving the laptop into his hands. “All yours, big guy.”

                Muttering about how he always had to do everything, Bardock first sputtered at the keyboard, which was in her alphabet and pointed at the letters firmly. “Oh,” she said, pulling it back into her lap. “Sorry, didn’t think about that. Hang on.” She typed slowly, obviously not used to using a keyboard, squinting at the letters as she hunted and pecked at them. “Ok. There we go. Saiyan to Solarian. Ugh… ‘you must update…’ _Fine_! Update the damned thing and just work, damn it!” She shouted at the screen, shaking her fist as she grumbled about out of date programs and stupid technology.

                Bardock chuckled at all of that and couldn’t help it when his beast broke through after a minute of laughing softly. “You’re beautiful as hell when you’re angry, Koto.”

                Mako immediately blushed as the computer translated; it had finished downloading during her rant and had been waiting to translate for nearly thirty seconds. “Oh… um… thank you?”

                “Thank the gods, you can finally understand me. I meant a _friendly_ spar,” he said, getting right to the point. “No winning or losing, just… a good time, I suppose. You like to fight; so do I. Apparently courting your ire isn’t working, but that’s what my beast wants to do. I thought we could compromise with it, somehow.”

                “Oh. Well… I suppose just a friendly spar would be fine,” she managed, strangely turned on a little by being able to understand him… even though that accent was sexy as hell and she’d been fantasizing about him breathing into her ear in Saiyan, whispering words to her that she didn’t understand as he took her gently. “Well… um… I guess we could go eat somewhere? I haven’t been back here much lately and I’m afraid my fridge is pretty empty.”

                “Where have you been sleeping?” He inquired curiously.

                “I’ve been showering and staying with my female acolytes most nights,” she admitted. “I figured you’d be less likely to do something stupid if I didn’t sleep alone… especially in a room full of trained warriors.”

                Bardock snorted at that and rolled his eyes. “Woman, if I wanted you so badly that I’d blatantly invade your living space, taking off with you from a room full of the Elite wouldn’t deter me in the least. Just sleep in here from now on, it won’t make a difference to my inner beast.” He held his hand up when she moved to close the computer. “No. Let me…” He sighed as he slid closer to her and kissed the mark of Jupiter on her forehead. “I haven’t slept this well since before my first mate passed, Koto. May I…?”

                Mako surprised herself by nodding slowly; she’d understood the unspoken question. And something about his presence when she wasn’t angry with him… hell, his very scent… it soothed her, somehow, and she couldn’t deny that. “Alright… but if you sleep in here naked or try anything, I’m kicking you out. Fair?”

                He nodded, but Bardock still kept her from closing the computer. “Just a Chatty Cathy today, huh?” The princess of Jupiter sighed.

                “Contact,” he grunted.

                “Huh?”

                “I’m asking for basic contact. I want to know what’s too far and what’s allowed. We have to compromise with my beast, somehow. He wants a mile, but I’m willing to work with several inches.” He looked down then and grinned at the sight of himself semi-hard, his hand going to the back of his head. “No pun intended, I swear.”

                Mako just sighed and shook her head, refusing to look at the proof of his arousal.  “Well… I don’t know. We’re technically courting, right?” He nodded, and she scratched her head for a second in thought. “Well, what’s normal?”

                “Petting above the waist, maybe below sometimes if one of us needs relief. Nudity is not taboo among us, either… I must admit that I find it very strange to sleep with clothing on for any reason, Koto.” Her crimson face made him grin. “What, Koto? You’ve seen a man naked, yes?”

                “Yes… but… rarely a man that’s so…” She shrugged lamely. “Manly.” She recovered after a little bit though and shook her head. “Dating to my people… we go out. Do stuff. Contact is very prudish compared to Saiyans, I suppose. Holding hands, kissing, maybe. No petting until the relationship progresses.”

                “Progresses?” He snorted. “I’m going to bite you and make you my mate. I courted Romayna’s ire and pissed her off so badly within two days that she nearly beat me to death. I got her on the second go-round, though,” he added smugly. “We were mated in less than a week once I started courting her.”

                “Sorry, buddy, but I don’t do things at that pace. Not something serious, anyway,” she added as an afterthought. “A casual fling, fine. But you want something long-term.”

                “Gods, the culture shock for me on this planet,” Bardock groaned. “I’ll have you know that I wasn’t nearly as free with my body as my oldest son, so don’t you label all Saiyan warriors as sluts. I don’t do casual flings.”

                “I didn’t say that. And I’ll have you know that I don’t do them as often as you may think. I’m pretty old by Saiyan standards, remember?” She asked tersely, trying hard not to think about the events of the day before. Gods, if he ever found out…

                “I like the kissing,” Bardock admitted, his own cheeks coloring slightly. “We don’t do it on Vegeta-sai, but…” He shrugged. “I like it.”

                “Fine. Kissing is allowed,” she sighed, not as against it as he might think. The thought of kissing him… _really_ kissing him… wait a second, was he sliding closer to her on the bed? “What? You want to kiss me now?” She sputtered.

                “I didn’t kiss you good morning,” he countered, guiding her face to his for a slow, gentle kiss. Bardock purred when she hesitantly leaned in to it, but the moment he felt her tongue slide against his lower lip, he jumped in surprise and jerked backwards. “The hell kind of sorcery is that, woman?”

                They both stared at each other in shock as a deep, undeniable wave of déjà vu washed through the both of them, and Mako was the first one to clear her throat and speak. “I… I keep getting the strangest feeling, you know? The more we talk, the more I feel like we’ve done this before. But… I remember all of my past lives and you’re not in any of them, so…”

                Bardock shrugged and shook his head. “Woman, I have no clue. I’m honestly not even going to worry about it.” At the sight of her immediate, deep frown, Bardock sat back and studied her carefully. “Koto… are you a virgin? Yesterday, when you said you were visiting Minako, I assumed you weren’t, and you just mentioned casual flings, but…” He shrugged in conclusion.

                “No, I’m not,” she clarified, “but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to just—“ She gasped when he cut her off with a light kiss, one hand cupping her face while the other slid down her back.

                “I just wanted to know for sure,” he explained. “That’s all. Damn it, I’m getting a translator for you while we’re out. Talking to you is making all of this so much simpler.” He slid off the bed then and started strapping on his armor, going still in surprise when he felt her helping him with it. “Thank you, Koto.”

                “Just thought it would be quicker this way,” she whispered a little shyly. “I’m going to change clothes… I would appreciate it if you didn’t look.”

                “I’ll see it all soon enough,” he chuckled, shutting his eyes as he heard her rustling around behind him, followed by the sound of her laptop clicking shut. “The hell did you do that for?”

                She chuckled at that; she understood the tone if not the words. “I didn’t charge the battery the last time I put it away, so I was going to plug it up while we were gone. I’d try and shock it, but the last time I did that to older tech, I blew it up.” A voice in the back of her head was once again dwelling on how ridiculously sexy it was that she couldn’t understand his words, and how something about his voice and his heavy accent soothed her and turned her on to no end at the same time. “Come on, I’m hungry.”

                He could scent her light arousal and purred as he tugged her into his arms, moving his mouth against hers slowly, taking a page from her book and running his tongue over her lower lip. But he hesitated a moment when he felt her lips part and her own tongue brushed against his, only to groan softly at the taste of her and plunge forward for even more. _Ok, I really like this kissing thing,_ he admitted to himself.

                Her immediate moan of pleasure spurred his beast on further and before he knew it he was jumping at a light shock from her fingers. “What?” He asked groggily, blinking open his eyes. He was stunned to find her topless, flushed, panting hard, with several lovebites on her shoulder and—oh. He remembered making them, but… “My beast got out of control, Koto. Sorry,” he whispered, caressing the generous breast filling his palm as he bent down to kiss her tenderly.

                Mako allowed it, still trembling and fighting for air after the way he’d suddenly become so aggressive and demanding with her. Gods, it had scared her a little bit, but it had felt so good that she’d nearly melted into him and lifted her hips in permission for him to just go ahead and take her. “Ok, Bardock,” she whispered between kisses, “that’s enough. Rein in Mister Beastie for me.”

                With a nod and a disappointed sigh, Bardock withdrew and grumbled when he looked down to find himself fully erect and ready for her. “Fuck?” He asked hopefully.

                Mako sighed and despite the shake of her head, she gave him a tiny, amused smile, coupled with a brief look of appreciation for what he was packing. “Let me get a shirt on that isn’t shredded to ribbons and we’ll go work it off with a spar.”

                Shredded to…? Bardock had the decency to blush slightly at the sight of the green top that was now little better than a pile of scraps thanks to his beast, but he couldn’t help the smirk gracing his lips. “Just feel lucky I didn’t get your skirt, too, woman.”

                The gesture to her legs made Mako snort. “No, you were hiking _that_ up around my waist, and you were about to ruin my underwear. Do you even remember what you did?”

                Bardock shrugged a little and used his hand to make a gesture that meant “sort of.” Gods, it was almost like she was in heat or something with the way his beast was reacting to her, but a sniff of the air told him that that wasn’t the case. Ok, maybe he was just really that hard up for a good lay, and finding his mate was throwing his beast into overdrive. “Spar,” he grunted once she was dressed, while he thought of anything and everything to deflate his arousal.

                Makoto led the way out through the twists and turns of her living quarters and once they were in the main area of the temple she gave her acolytes a nod of greeting before taking her usual place in the back to begin warm-ups.

                She fell into the comforting motions of a series of katas and was pleased to feel Bardock joining her, though when he faltered his stance for the fifth time, she paused, opened her eyes, and repositioned his right leg a little. “Sorry,” she said a little sheepishly when he shot her an ‘I know what the fuck I’m doing’ look. “Have you done this excersise before?” Mako nodded in approval when he shook his head, and decided to leave him alone. “You’re very adept at just picking it up, Bardock.”

                “I saw you do it once before,” he confessed in Saiyan. “That’s all that’s required for an Elite.” He knew she didn’t understand him, but he was content to close his eyes and lose himself in the graceful movements as he moved in sync with the beauty beside him.

                The warm-ups were over before they knew it and both of them felt a little disappointed at the sudden end of the quiet companionship that they had shared for a quarter of an hour. “Well?” Makoto finally asked.

                Bardock’s lips twitched up lazily as he sized her up and he struck first without warning, sending her flying back into a pillar in the middle of the temple, only to catch her before her back impacted with the marble. “You good?” He drawled out.

                “No ki,” she snorted, more amused than anything as he set her down. “You fucking smartass, we both know you could whoop my ass unless I felt like stopping your heart.” Mako froze and blushed when he immediately placed her hand over the left side of his chest, a serious expression on his face that conveyed far more than words ever could.

                His heart was hers to do with as she wished.

                The moment passed when a priestess chuckled from nearby and made an “aaaaaw” noise over what was likely a touching scene, and Mako quickly wrenched her hand out of his, grinning as she slipped a knife from her subspace and backed off a little to circle him slowly. “You ok with this, Saiyan?”

                Bardock simply grunted and nodded, standing perfectly still as he followed her ki with his inner senses, never bothering to look behind him to track her movements. “Bring it,” he rumbled.

                Apparently the tone of his voice was enough to convey his challenge, and Bardock found himself fighting the urge to use his ki as his beast took over and pushed at him to kick her ass and fuck her into the ground. But he kept it leashed as he dodged and blocked and countered, always careful not to really hurt her.

                And then the blade in her hand was suddenly at his throat and he lost control of his inner Saiyan momentarily, his purr starting up to mix in with his growl of lust. “Gods… there’s nothing sexier than a woman that can kick my ass,” he ground out when she just barely nicked his skin.

                The goddess of Jupiter saw the sheer lust in his eyes and stared at him in confusion; damn it, this man was weird as hell. She’d expected anger or even a little fear… but he was turned on by the knife to his carotid? She looked down, and the proof of his arousal was there for all to see, his tail thrashing behind him, spreading his pheromones. And she could tell that they were working her over, too, glazing her vision a bit as thoughts of sweat, sex and cool linen sheets beneath her clouded her thoughts. “We’re done here,” she said quickly, tossing the weapon into her subspace as she darted just out of reach and shook her head when he stepped forward. “No, Saiyan. I’m going to walk to cool off and go get a massage. I’ll catch you later.”


	6. Chapter 6

Rei panted as she felt blood well up around the nails digging into Raditz’s back and not for the first time was immensely grateful that her room was soundproof when she screamed his name.

                Groaning out something strangled in Saiyan, Raditz finally let go as she clamped down around him and milked him tightly, giving her a few last solid thrusts before trembling against her and sinking to the floor. He leaned against her then and sighed in utter contentment, nibbling at her mark while the sound of his purr filled the room along with the soft little whimpers coming out of her throat. “Mmm… ready?” He growled softly.

                Rei wanted to cry when she felt him stiffen inside of her again and shook her head a little. “Dear gods, Raditz… is it the fucking apocalypse again? That’s six times today… I don’t think I can take any more.”

                “You said you owed me a brat, _r’sha_ … I’m simply trying to help you out with that.” When she sagged in his arms and shook her head, Raditz snickered and scooped her up from where he’d been fucking her against the wall. “Alright, alright. I suppose I could give my newly deflowered virgin a break…” He heard her sigh in relief and grinned. “…for an hour.” The responding weak punch to his back made him laugh as he gently slid her into the bed and he joined her. “Mmm… you smell so damned good, Red,” he sighed into her hair. “Sure you don’t want to go again?”

                “Positive,” she moaned, snuggling up to him tightly as she felt sleep claiming her. “And I’m going to kill Vegeta for running his mouth to you about me owing you a child,” she added crankily. “How long is it again before you can sense it?”

                “A few weeks. Depends. Don’t stress yourself out over it though, Rei… making them is more than half the fun. And I am having a **_lot_** of fun.”

                The goddess of Mars roused herself just enough to ask the same question she’d asked all week before she passed out for the night. “Raddy… is she still alright?”

                “I already checked,” he sighed, “and yes, she’s fine. Don’t worry, _r’sha_. As soon as she’s healed, one of us will go out there and check on her. No point in risking upsetting her caretaker; he’s well-known for being a little too cranky at times. Now go to sleep, unless you want round seven,” he purred.

                “Love you.”

                “And you, beautiful.”

##################################

                It had been too much, too familiar, and way too scary for her to comprehend. She knew what it was now; it was almost as if she’d been there before. Like she’d pressed him to a wall in another life, a knife to his throat, and she’d nicked his skin as he’d stared down at her with naked hunger in his eyes. “Maybe it’s part of that stupid pull thing?” She wondered to herself worriedly as she walked aimlessly, headed more or less in a direction towards Mina’s temple.

She’d only passed it four times.

“I am _not_ in love with him,” she mumbled as she thought of Enril’s words from the day before. “I’m _not_ , damn it.”

                Thinking of Enril made her sigh and shake her head; she knew without even thinking that she was going to wind up walking right into his room and asking him for the same thing as yesterday—lights off and gentle lovemaking while she fantasized about the Saiyan male she’d left behind nearly an hour ago.

                But… a wave of guilt washed through her, and Mako flinched as the guilt was joined by a slight tinge of nausea and an odd aching in her left shoulder. “The hell?” She whispered, already trying to rub the pain from the muscle. “Maybe I really do need a massage,” she wondered aloud, shaking her head slightly as she continued in a more or less straight line towards the Temple of Venus.

                Just before the tsunami of guilt, she’d been about to acknowledge silently that it felt wrong to go find Enril. Especially after the way that Bardock had held her all night, how tender he’d been with her, and then their almost amiable conversation that morning. She wanted him, plain and simple. But… was she ready for a life-long commitment with him? Mako trembled nervously at the idea, feeling like a bride with cold feet as she went straight into the temple and ignored Turles when he tried to stop her with a frown on his face.

                “Mako?” Enril smiled softly when she entered and she smelled of Bardock and heavy arousal, but he shook his head and held up a hand to stop her when she approached. “No, Mako. I’m sorry, but no. What we did yesterday… I did it to help you admit that you care for him. But I can’t and won’t do it again; I have too much respect for the Saiyan bond to interfere with his courtship. And don’t bring up the fact that I do that for other women, Mako,” he added quickly. “Bardock is very much attainable for you; I do it for those that want what they can’t have.”

                The goddess of Jupiter felt close to tears at his rejection as a tiny voice in the back of her head told her that he was absolutely right; that tiny voice was also very grateful that he was turning her away. “But… but I can’t—please, Enril. Just… just this one time, and then I swear that I’ll figure it all out on my own.”

                Sending a ki signal to the Saiyan warrior growling softly behind his door, Enril didn’t even look as he calmly asked him to just stay put for a moment. “No, Mako. If you want Bardock to make love to you again, I suggest you go find the real one,” he instructed gently, bending down to kiss the 4 on her brow. “I love you, Mako. As a friend. And believe me, it’s very, very difficult to turn you down when I know how good we can be in bed, but I want what’s best for you. I want you to be happy, alright? And you’re not going to be happy in the long run if you keep coming to me to fulfill your fantasies of sleeping with Bardock. It was one time, Mako. That’s it. I’m sorry.” _Please don’t break down my door… or my neck,_ Enril added shakily with his ki when he felt Bardock’s raging at him.

                They both jumped at a hard thump on the door and it swung open to reveal Makoto’s suitor standing on the other side of it. She swallowed hard, but quickly put herself between both men as he stepped into the room and snarled loudly at the both of them. “We weren’t doing anything,” she said firmly, folding her arms over her chest. “In fact, I was just leaving.”

                “No, you weren’t doing anything… but you did yesterday!” Bardock snapped at her angrily, uncaring that she couldn’t understand him. His tone and his body language did the talking for him and he grabbed her by the wrist, ignoring the mild shock she gave him. “Go!” He shouted in Solarian, followed by a sentence directed at Enril.

                “It’s ok,” the priest said slowly, giving Bardock a slow nod. “Go back to your temple, Mako. I’ll speak with you later; your mate has already sworn not to harm me despite the fact that he heard everything at the door.”

                Makoto blanched at that and trembled; she’d thought he’d been mad simply for catching her alone with another man… she hadn’t understood his words or when he’d said he knew. “Bardock… I—“

                “No talk!” He shouted in Solarian. “Go, Koto! Now!” He was furious despite the tears in her eyes that were beginning to spill over, and he gave her a brief nudge out the door before slamming it shut. “You’re Saiyan, boy, I can smell it,” Bardock growled, still facing the door as he tried to get his beast under control. “You of all people should have known what kind of a death wish you were inviting when you…” He couldn’t even get the word out of his mouth. “You… _fucked_ **my** mate.”

                “She was having a lot of trouble coming to grips with the pull and the fact that she is very much in love with you,” Enril replied a hell of a lot more calmly than he felt; he could feel Bardock’s ki fluctuating from his fury and he knew the much older Saiyan was fighting like hell not to rip his lungs from his chest. “I gave her relief since she was so frustrated by her desire that it was making her unable to think. It had been a pretty long time for her, so I think she needed that more than anything. And Bardock? I did not make love to your mate yesterday.”

                Utterly confused, the warrior turned and eyed the priest. “Then who did?” He ground out.

                “You. She wasn’t with me in her mind. I turned off the lights and she was moaning _your_ name, not mine.” Enril managed a little smile then and shrugged. “And I must say, Bardock… she was very enthusiastic about the very idea of mating with you. She said _r’sha_ , you know.”

                That sent a shiver down Bardock’s spine and he simply didn’t know _what_ to think anymore. What Mako had done wasn’t even cheating under Saiyan law—if there was one regarding something that never happened. A woman was free to be with whomever she chose so long as she wasn’t marked. And she wasn’t… but he was going to change that, and _soon_. “Don’t come near my mate again,” he warned.

                Outside the room, Bardock snarled at his son and slammed him up against the wall by his throat. “I heard you trying to warn her, boy! Don’t you _dare_ fucking tell me that you knew about yesterday!”

                “I wasn’t sure,” Turles replied evenly. “I had a clue, but I wasn’t positive, so I wasn’t going to stress you out about something that may or may not have happened, Father. Now would you please put me down?” He huffed. “I need to talk to you about something very important.”

                Seeing a flicker of worry, anguish and fury across his son’s features calmed Bardock enough that he was able to set Turles down, and he grunted at him to speak.

                “I need to take someone out,” he ground through his teeth. “But with Nappa at poolside all damned day, there’s no one to sanction it.” Turles growled and clenched his fists when his father shrugged. “It’s not some stupid grudge, Father. I know for a fact that this warrior has raped four women and I want him dead.”

                “Can anyone else attest to it?” Bardock asked slowly as he leaned against the wall.

                Vegeta. Raditz and Rei, maybe. Broly and Usa. But Turles didn’t want to involve any of them in this sort of thing, because if he did, Minako would find out. And if she discovered what had happened and started asking questions… “No. But I swear to you that it’s true. I can’t explain how I know, but I do, Father.”

                “And you wouldn’t make that sort of accusation unless it was true,” Bardock rumbled softly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and nodded. “Alright, I’m in. When and where, boy?”

                Turles visibly relaxed and leaned against the opposite wall of the hallway. “Thank you, Father. I’d fucking hug you for this if that was my thing. I don’t have a plan yet, but I’ll definitely give you a call when I do.”

##############################

                He could hear her crying softly from outside her door and Bardock didn’t even bother to knock; he simply strode in like he owned the place, grabbed her computer, and sat down on the edge of the bed, ignoring everything she said while he waited for the translation program to load.

                “I did not kill him,” he finally said, pulling a box little bigger than one for a ring from his pocket. “Enril said you have trouble thinking clearly sometimes. This should take care of that.” He placed it in her hands and stood. “I am going out to find you a translator so that we can have a proper conversation, Koto. I’ll be back later.”

                “We can talk now if you want to, Bardock,” she choked out, wiping at her eyes as her shoulder ached again and she felt awash in guilt. “I’m sorry that I hurt you, I just—“

                “I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he grunted. “I’m too fucking mad, Koto. Just drop it and save it for later. Maybe someday I’ll be able to discuss it with you without wanting to rip his throat out.”

                And with that he left, leaving her there trembling in a combination of fear, guilt, embarrassment… and love. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to no one, slamming her computer shut as she laid back down.

                She finally dozed off and woke after several hours of fitful sleep, and was surprised not to see Bardock waiting to yell at her… or force the bond on her. “Bardock?” She whispered fretfully, getting up and realizing that the box he’d given her was still lying in her hand. Mako was curious as to its contents, but something kept telling her to expect an ambush of some sorts and she checked around before going back to the bed.

                Mako opened the box once she knew she was safely alone in her room, her hands trembling as she thought about her encounter with Bardock. He knew… dear gods, he knew… “Thank the gods that he didn’t kill Enril,” she whispered shakily. Looking down into the box to find that Bardock had written a note on the other side of the instructions, she was grateful to find that someone had translated the Saiyan glyphs printed on it. “Oh,” she gasped as she read them, suddenly understanding his words to her.

                _If you want to scream my name without me there, use this. **Not** another man._

Makoto immediately groaned and covered her red face in shame. “He knows about _all_ of it,” she mumbled, shaking her head back and forth. “Oh dear gods, I’m never going to hear the end of it once he’s calmed down enough to talk.”

                It was a long time before she decided to just let it go until she saw him again, and she turned her attention back to the box and read the note again, still blushing at the words on the paper. “I don’t know whether I should abstain from any pleasure or if I owe him to try it out,” she sighed. After all, it was a courting gift… and after everything that had happened, she didn’t dare refuse something from Bardock. It would simply be insulting as hell to him at that point. “Alright, fine. Let’s see what’s in here,” she decided aloud, pulling out some packing paper to reveal her gift.

“But how… it’s so tiny,” she remarked in confusion, pulling a silver bead from the box that was smaller than a shooter marble. It was surprisingly soft despite its metallic sheen, and Makoto decided to read the instructions for a further explanation. “Oh,” she gasped for a second time, her face turning a deeper red as she looked at the bead again. “I get it.”

                Unable to stop her curiosity and definitely not wanting to offend Bardock, Mako removed her panties as she continued to read the instructions and studied the bead for another minute with a touch of trepidation. “Oh, come on, girl. It can’t be that weird. You’ve used a toy before, after all.” As the paper told her to, she pushed the ball past her folds and held it to her clitoris, but when nothing happened she snorted. “Did I miss something?” She poured over the instructions again and looked for a remote or something, but there was nothing else inside of the box. “Huh. Well, guess I’m not getting off with this thing, screaming Bardock’s name or otherwise.”

                She was a tiny bit disappointed at that, part of her perverted mind wanted to test out this alien tech and she was starting to get a little hot under the collar just thinking about getting some much-needed stress relief.

                And as if on cue, the ball she was still holding to her sex suddenly latched on.

                “What the fuck!?” She screamed, instantly trying to remove it. But it was a lot softer and it had somehow spread out across the sensitive flesh from the top of her clit, down to her opening… and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t seem to pry it off. “Oh boy. Now comes the time to embarrassingly call Bardock and ask him how to take it off, or be forced to walk around with an alien sex toy attached to my goodies.”

                She moved to put her underwear back on as she debated whether or not to find him, and was surprised at how easy it was to move with the thing attached to her; in fact, she barely felt anything at all. It moved and flexed with her as if it was her own skin, and when she examined it with a touch to her silver-coated privates, she was even more perplexed to find it solid—not liquid as she’d expected. “Weird Saiyan tech.” Mako touched again; it felt almost like a piece of very soft, flesh-like cloth, and she could feel everything beneath it when she explored herself with her fingers. “Oh well. As long as it doesn’t block my ability to pee, we’re ok, I guess.”

                As a curious finger brushed over her clit, she stopped dead at a slow, spreading warmth from between her thighs. “Ok, enough of that. Time to call Bar—oh,” she gasped suddenly. “What… what the?”

                The warmth was still there, and was inexplicably growing hotter with every passing second, while a soft humming began to run through her body. “Whoa…” Mako relaxed and just sat there, her eyes slipping shut as every bit of skin covered by the device heated up slowly and began to sing with gradual pleasure. It was as if someone was just softly, gently stroking over every nerve ending, slowly teasing her before the main event. “That’s not bad,” she whispered. “Guess I could just lie back and enjoy it… see what’s going to happen,” she remarked to herself as that stroking increased just a little bit and made her purr with delight.

                The goddess of Jupiter did just that and laid down on her back, sighing at the sudden sensation of a finger circling her opening, stroking just inside of her, and she realized that the silver stuff must have expanded a little further south. That was alright, though, it felt good, and when she closed her eyes she couldn’t help but imagine yet again that it was Bardock touching her so skillfully. “Gods, I’m such a bad girl,” she muttered to herself. “Lying here, imagining that hot Saiyan warrior slamming me against the wall and fucking me as I fight and beg—”

                She stopped talking when it felt as if a tongue had just stroked her clit, wet, warm, and very much alive. “Oh dear gods…” It licked her again slowly and she moaned in response, her hips rocking a bit in encouragement as the finger continued to tease her slit. “Bardock,” she whispered, “don’t stop… that feels so good…”

                As if in response, the tongue became a pair of lips and latched on to her clit, sucking it gently, and Mako whimpered softly when it wouldn’t move any harder than that. “ _Please_ …” It didn’t do what she expected at all after that little plea left her lips—it didn’t move any harder, but it suddenly began to vibrate lightly, and her hands clutched at the sheets beneath her as her eyes rolled back and she moaned loudly.

                All coherent thought flew out of her head when the vibration intensified after several moments and that phantom mouth suckled even harder, and she came loudly with a shout of a certain Saiyan male’s name. “Dear sweet gods,” she whimpered, just lying there in shock at the strength of how hard she’d come, slumped back into her pillows as the device between her thighs continued to vibrate very lightly, stroking her clit gently every now and then. “Ok, how do I turn this thing off?” She asked helplessly. “Off?” She asked again. Nothing. “Turn off? Stop? _Please_ stop?”

                The sweet, overwhelming sensations only continued, albeit not as hard as when she’d been just about to orgasm, and Makoto found herself moaning softly once again when  it began to pick up the pace again, only this time it was teasing her an awful lot. “I swear to Zeus… if there’s a controller for this thing and Bardock’s got it right now… I’m going to fucking kill him,” she whimpered.

################################

                It took Bardock nearly a half-hour to find his way back to the Temple of Jupiter from the tech shops over near the Temple of Mercury, but he finally had what he’d been looking for and went looking for Makoto. Only she wasn’t sparring as he’d expected her to be. “Damn it, maybe I hurt her,” he whispered to himself, immediately heading for the back.

                He gave a guard a steady glare when he tried to stand in his way, and a soft growl in the back of Bardock’s throat made that guard wisely move to the side so he could continue on his path to his goddess’s bedroom. Hearing nothing at her door, Bardock swung it open and smiled a little sappily at the sight of her asleep. But then he noticed everything else—she was sweaty, it smelled like arousal and sex in the bedroom, but without a male’s scent mixed in, and the box he’d given her was lying open on the bed next to her panties. “Heh… looks like she gave it a try and fell asleep,” he chuckled as he pulled the controller out of his back pocket.

                He then realized that he could hear a light humming noise, and as if on cue, Mako whimpered softly. “Please… _please no more_ …”

                Bardock lifted a brow at that. Surely one orgasm wouldn’t have been that inten—“Holy shit,” he whispered as he looked down at the controller in his hands. “That… that _can’t_ be right. _Thirty-seven_ orgasms…? She’s going to fucking _kill_ me,” he said quickly as he hit the emergency off switch. “Koto?” He asked softly, stroking her hair back off of her face. “Koto, can you hear me? Koto?” He shook her lightly and at the first glimpse of her hazy green eyes, he sighed with relief and kissed her forehead. “Hang on,” he rumbled, slipping the translator he’d procured for her out of his armor.

                He placed it carefully in her ear, switched it on, and waited a moment before speaking. “Are you ok, _r’sha_?”

                “If I could move right now I’d shove my foot so far up your ass you’d fart whenever you coughed,” she choked out softly. “Don’t look so relieved, asshole. Because I really would… even if I think I just got godsmacked for yesterday.”

                “Oh, I believe you about kicking my ass, woman. I honestly don’t know what happened… the burning ball was only supposed to work whenever you were aroused, not constantly.” He was pushing her skirt up then, a touch worried when she didn’t fight him in the slightest. “Hang on and I’ll try to figure out why, Koto. It’s a prototype, but I tested it on myself several times to be sure it was **_safe_** ,” he continued as he boldly slipped his hand between her legs and carefully removed the silver substance from her sex.

                Mako gave a huge sigh of relief once it was gone and tried to sit up but she couldn’t; every muscle in her body was as loose as jello and there was no chance of being able to move for some time. She was about to make another comment about kicking his ass when she suddenly heard him grunt and she watched his face flush in what could only be embarrassment. “Don’t tell me? You fucked it all up and the programming was wrong,” she guessed.

                “No,” he muttered contritely, “it’s… much simpler than that. It appears that I sat on the button labeled ‘burning’ while it was in my back pocket. It was originally set to ‘arousal mode.’ Gods, Koto… I’m so sorry. Are you alright? Can you feel your legs at least?”

                “Yes,” she huffed, not sure whether to yell at him or laugh. _I so totally deserved this after yesterday. I wanted to come… and I **sure** as hell did. _“I just can’t move them,” she whined. “Or anything else, for that matter. All my muscles are like pudding except the ones in my lower stomach… and I’m going to kill you,” she added.

                “I’m sure I’ll be hearing a lot of that over the next year or so,” Bardock snorted. “Uterus is all cramped up?” He asked as he slid her top up a little bit. When she nodded he sighed. “I can’t apologize enough for this, Koto. Is there pain anywhere else?”

                “Upper thighs, but… I have to ask, why is there no pain between my legs? I should be sore as hell.”

                Bardock began to carefully, gently massage her thighs, careful not to tickle the oversensitive flesh. “I developed the burning ball for female Saiyan virgins going through the burning. Of course it can also be used just for pleasure, but that was the entire reason I made it. Do you know what the burning is?” He nodded when she shook her head. “I’m not due for one for about six more months, so you’re safe, but I know that Turles is due soon. It’s a mating drive that hits all Saiyans and lasts for several days. Constant climaxes are required to keep it at bay unless the Saiyan is going to be allowed to go on some sort of killing spree. Blood or sex, that’s the only thing that will satisfy our inner beasts. Males get it around fifteen for the first time and have one about every two years. Females get it at sixteen and average one every five or six years. Less if they have offspring.”

                “Most Saiyan females wind up mated at sixteen, don’t they?”

                “Yes. That’s part of the reason I made the ball. They can get relief from a trusted male or even a female if they want, but it’s not easy keeping up with the needs required of a burning Saiyan, and penetration is the most effective method of satisfying it. The burning ball uses vibrations and very little friction, so it can be used for extended periods of time without any pain from being rubbed raw. That’s also a major problem that _all_ Saiyans go through,” he added with a grimace. “But mostly the females. I hope that I can market it soon and virgin females won’t feel forced to mate just because they’re burning.”

                Mako felt her anger fade for him immediately and couldn’t help but smile a little. “You should have had daughters.”

                “Gods no!” He laughed. “I wouldn’t have known what in the hell to do with daughters, and heaven help me the moment they came of mating age. I would have been killing male warriors left and right. Hm… maybe you can give me some, though?” He asked thoughtfully after studying her for a full minute.

                Mako blushed at that and shook her head. “You Saiyans get far too ahead of yourselves.”

                “I meant in a few years, woman. Thighs feel better?” When she nodded, he carefully flipped her over and began to work at her lower back, using his ki to warm his hands. “This should help with the cramping.” He heard her murmur in approval and couldn’t help but snicker for a few moments. “Sorry… it’s just… I’ll bet my armor you won’t be in the mood for a few days at the very least.”

                “I’m _never_ having sex again,” she groaned into her pillow. “So if you still want to mate with me, you may as well just hang it up, Saiyan. Not fucking happening. I’ve moaned your name so many damned times tonight that I’ll never even utter it again, let alone think of fucking you.”

                “Wait… so… you _did_ think of me?” He felt her stiffen beneath his hands a little and couldn’t help purr at her confession; that most certainly boosted his ego! “And was it good?” He whispered in her ear.

                “Before or after I started crying from the overload?” Mako snorted, smirking into the pillow as she sensed his puffed-up chest deflating immediately. “Hn, that’s what I thought. Don’t get too cocky, Saiyan.”

                Bardock grumbled for a moment before trailing his fingertips down her spine, well aware that she couldn’t move at all. “Before,” he said softly. “Your idea of me… I wonder if I’ll even live up to the expectations, Koto.”

                She didn’t miss the deep worry in the timbre of his voice and she wished she could roll herself over to look up at him. “Bardock… are you still mad at me?”

                “Yes,” he sighed, “and no. That is something that I do not want to talk about, Koto. I would rather we both just never mention it ever again. Consider the mishap with the burning ball a way of unintentionally evening the score, I suppose.” He swallowed as he rolled her back over and gazed into her eyes. “But I want a promise.”

                Makoto simply nodded in agreement, knowing what he was going to ask. “I’m yours,” she sighed, “and I’ll not go looking for satisfaction elsewhere.”

                Pleased that he hadn’t needed to coerce her or argue for her agreement, he bent down and nipped at her shoulder. “Completely mine, Koto?”

                “Please no, Bardock. Not… not after that damned ball—“

                “Oh,” he snickered, which turned into a full-blown laugh within moments. “Alright, alright,” he agreed as he continued to chuckle. “I won’t until tomorrow; I’ll try and give your snatch a break.”

                “I just meant the bite,” she muttered. “My snatch is seeing no action for the rest of my life, damn it.”

                Bardock’s scouter went off then and he grumbled; he’d been hoping to snuggle up to her now that she’d agreed to be his, but nooooo, someone always had to call him right when it was least convenient. “What!?” He barked into the device.

                “I need you, Father. I found them… _all_ of them,” Turles growled softly.

                “All…?”

                “I’ll explain another time. Meet me at the Temple of Uranus, they’re not far from there.”


	7. Chapter 7

Ami cautiously answered her door in her nightgown when there was a knock at it after setting the book Nappa had given her to the side.

                The knock had definitely had a male quality to it, and since only her priestesses ever came to her so late, she was tempted to transform to fight off a full-moon-affected Nappa just in case he’d figured out a way to get into her chambers without swimming.

                It was only Prince Vegeta, though, which made her sigh openly with relief… though there was also a strange feeling of disappointment as well. Just seeing him made her unexplainably happy, even if she was scared of sleeping with him.

“No,” Vegeta chuckled, “it’s not a seven-foot tall horny general at your door. Were you hearing ‘fee fi fo fum’ in your head?”

                “I’ve thought it more than once,” she admitted wryly. “How is Serenity? Is she still upset about Chibi-Usa?”

                “She’s coming to terms with it, thank the gods. Anyway, here,” he said, handing her a folded up piece of paper. “It’s from Nappa.” Vegeta waited and grinned when her eyes widened a little at the sight of his writing. “I corrected his spelling,” he snickered. “Gods, he was writing like some kind of four-year-old.”

                “I know,” Ami giggled. “It was actually kind of cute,” she admitted. “I’ll miss the backwards E’s, though.”

                “I almost didn’t correct that, I thought it was a nice touch. I promised I’d wait for a reply,” he added when it looked like Ami was about to thank him and dismiss him. “Take your time, your sister’s not putting out.”

                “After you took the fall for everyone involved in the thing with my niece, I’m amazed she’s still allowing you to see her,” Ami admitted. She stepped forward then and kissed Vegeta on the cheek. “That was sweet of you, by the way.”

                Vegeta allowed the embrace when she hugged him as well, giving her waist a quick, affectionate squeeze with his tail. “I have no clue what you’re talking about or who you’ve been talking to, woman, but I’ll take the implied brownie points.”

                “Vegeta, I’m far from stupid. Rei told me a week ago she couldn’t find Pluto through the sacred fire. Mina can find just about anything if she’s got enough power at her disposal. Usagi could have just as easily slept over at my temple or at Rei’s without royal guards, but she stayed at the Temple of Venus, which means that Minako used her as a virgin sacrifice. Pull or no pull, Mina was totally in on it. Rei, too, probably.” The look of utter shock on his face made her smile smugly and she shrugged. “Yeah, don’t bother lying to the goddess of wisdom, buddy,” she advised with a wink when he went a little pale. Clearly, he was thinking about what would happen if Serenity ever found out. “I won’t tell, though. Don’t worry. I think the whole thing with my niece is actually pretty romantic. Were they really going to elope?”

                Vegeta swallowed and managed a little nod; it was a lie, but it seemed that Mercury had bought it when she sighed wistfully and her cheeks colored a bit. “Setsuna is alive and safe,” he managed after a moment.

                Ami’s eyes went wide at that and she hugged him tightly in her utter relief. “Where is she? Someone should check on her.”

                “She’s injured, but she’s safe. It would be… unwise… to bother her at the moment. She’s being nursed back to health by a Saiyan male that’s known for his temper getting out of hand on occasion. If he’s felt the pull for her—which we suspect he has—he’ll flip out if anyone comes around before she’s healed. Damned alpha males,” Vegeta sputtered. “I’d know since I’m one as well.”

                “Have you tried his scouter?”

                “Yes. He’s not answering, even though I’ve tried calling him several times,” he grumbled. “Now go write your reply, Blue. I’d like to get a shot at sleeping over with my mate.”

                “Fat chance,” Ami snickered as she left the door open and sat down to fully read Nappa’s letter.

                AMI,

                THIS IS MY TWELFTH DRAFT SO I HOPE I GET IT RIGHT. THEN MAYBE VEGETA WILL SHUT HIS CAKE HOLE.

                “Twelve drafts?” Ami sputtered.

                “Nappa totally owes me his soul, now. I had a nosebleed from the bad spelling alone.”

                Giggling and shaking her head, Ami went back to it and couldn’t keep the stupid, lovesick smile off of her face.

                I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BREAKFAST WITH YOU ONCE THE MOON HAS SET, BUT I KNOW YOU TAKE IT IN YOUR CHAMBERS. AND PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME THEN WHY IN THE HELL ‘KNOW’ HAS A K AND ‘BREAKFAST’ HAS TWO A’S. AND WHY ‘TWO’ HAS A W. I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M LETTING VEGETA READ THIS, BUT I MISS YOU. I’M SORRY I HAD TO TURN DOWN THE OFFER FOR SUPPER, IT MADE ME SO HAPPY TO KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEND TIME WITH ME. PLEASE GIVE VEGETA A MESSAGE IN RETURN, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU TOMORROW.

                NAPPA

                “Poor guy. I hope you didn’t pick on him for this,” Ami said with a dark blush.

                “It took every ounce of willpower not to,” Vegeta admitted with a smirk. “Now write your message, woman. Hurry up.”

                Ami grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, started to write, then stopped, balled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. She’d asked him to join her poolside but… that just seemed so damned distrustful of her. Maybe… just maybe, it was time to trust him. A little. “Damn it,” she whined to herself. “Alright, fine.” Grabbing another sheet,

                _Nappa,_

_I would love to have breakfast with you tomorrow. I’ll ask someone to drain the entryway and you’re welcome to join me to eat in my chambers. And honestly, I missed you too and thought about you a lot this evening. I look forward to seeing you in the morning._

_Ami_

She folded it up but hesitated before handing it to Vegeta. “I take it you’re going to read this?” She sighed.

                “If it’s in Solarian and you didn’t write in all capitals, yes,” he said with a shrug. “I can keep a secret, woman.” Taking it from her, Vegeta went ahead and read it, a grin spreading slowly over his face. “Damn. Nappa just might kiss me when he reads this.”

                “Actually…?” Ami stepped forward and cupped his cheek, pressing her lips to his briefly. “That’s part of the message, too, if you don’t mind.”

                “I’m not kissing Nappa,” Vegeta huffed.

                “Well, then it’s a thank you for delivering it,” she said with a wink. “Now go give it to him so I can call someone about draining the main entryway.”

                “Isn’t there a back way or something?” Vegeta asked curiously.

                “Tell me, Vegeta. You helped Nappa out quite a bit today, considering how your normal personality runs towards being a little selfish. If I tell you about any other entrance, are you really going to keep it a secret?” Ami smiled knowingly when he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

                “I’m not selfish, woman. I’m trying to fix that if you haven’t noticed.”

                The hurt in his eyes surprised her, and Ami frowned and immediately hugged him tightly. “Forgive me, Vegeta. You’re right, you’ve been helping Serenity an awful lot lately with court business too. But… I’m still not telling you where the other entrance is,” she added with a smirk when he hugged her in return.

                “Feh. I’ll find it on my own,” he chuckled before winking at her in return and exiting her room. “And then I _will_ tell Nappa about it just to get even.”

############################

                “Here. Your luuuurve letter,” Vegeta drawled out, bursting into laughter immediately when Nappa growled and snatched it out of his hand with his tail. “Oh, come on. Read it, it’ll definitely change your tune.” Vegeta grinned when Nappa opened it and immediately handed it back over, but didn’t tease him any further. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He read it out, his grin turning into a genuine smile when one spread over Nappa’s face and it looked like the general was about to burst out into a song and dance. “Here. That wasn’t all of it,” he said quickly. “Bend down, and if you tell anyone about this I’ll kill you.”

                Nappa bent down, and when Vegeta covered his mouth with his gloved hand, then kissed the back of that hand, he just stared at him in surprise. “Don’t think for a moment that I’d give you one on the lips,” the prince huffed.

                “She…?” Nappa did do a little two-second dance when Vegeta nodded, then stopped himself when he remembered he wasn’t alone. “Er, uh… sorry.”

                “No, it’s… it’s ok!” Vegeta said between belly-shaking laughs. “She takes her breakfast at about six, so I suggest you’re on time. Now… I’m going to bed.”

                “Thanks, Vegeta!” Nappa said gleefully, giving the man he raised a tight hug, uncaring that he was the prince. “If you need help with Serenity, let me know!”

##################################

                Bardock touched down beside his son and nodded firmly. “Alright, boy. Lead the way.”

                Turles merely grunted, his tail lashing behind him in his fury as he began walking towards a bar not too far away. “They’re inside, Father. We’re outnumbered since there’s about a dozen of them, but I don’t think we’ll have too much of a problem if we do this properly.”

                “I hate to sound like a prick, boy, but there’s little honor in ambushing them all like this. If you want some sort of sanction for killing all these second and third class guards, you should call them out on single combat in the ring.”

                “I’m not going back to Vegeta-sai, Father,” Turles hissed out, shaking his head when his physical twin demanded an explanation. “My place is with Minako and I won’t take her from her home. And there’s no ring here… but I have every intention of fixing that over the next few weeks. But this needs to be done now, before any more girls wind up hurt.”

                “We’ll discuss your relocation at a later date,” Bardock huffed with displeasure, wearily shaking his head. “But if you want my help, we do this my way.”

                Damn it, his father was always too fucking old school for his own good. Not that there was anything wrong with honor, but shit— there was a time and a place to bend it a little when the odds were stacked against them. Turles licked his lips and shook his head. “Fuck honor in the ass right now, Father; these fuckers haven’t a drop of it.”

                If it had been Raditz, who almost always questioned him, Bardock would have been walking away right then. But Turles… Turles had almost always done as he was told when it came to a combat situation. He followed orders, which was how a younger son had managed to rise to Elite so quickly. “We do this your way, son. But I want an explanation, in full.”

                Fuck it. Bardock would likely remember the moment he bit Makoto, right? Turles nodded slowly in reply and led his father to a window where they could see inside. “All but that kid in the corner. He’s Saiyan, but I’ve never seen him before. He must be one of the immigrants from the last trip the king made here.”

                The older warrior studied the boy closely; with that scar over his eye, he sure looked an awful lot like… nah. Not possible. “Alright, Turles. If we’re playing dirty, the first thing I’d do—is that kid looking at us?”

                “Yeah, I think he is,” Turles muttered. As if to confirm it, the young man made a hand signal towards them and nodded before turning back to his beer and finishing it. “Son of a bitch. Well, I didn’t want to kill the boy, but…” He shrugged a little. “If he’s with them in any way, he probably deserves to die.”

                Bardock watched the kid shake his head a little and go into another room, and wonder if their cover had just been blown. They needed to work fast if they were going to pull this off. He’d been about to call it off and tell his son to wait for a better time when he heard footsteps behind him and turned with a ki blast in hand, ready to blow the intruder to pieces.

                “No, Father!” Turles hissed out, putting himself between his father and the short woman that was approaching them without a hint of fear to her features.

                “Heh, I guess you’re not too bad, either,” Sailor Saturn chuckled. “So far Broly’s the only one I can tolerate out of the lot of you.” She used her glaive to point at the window before either of them could respond and eyed the group of men through it with hatred. “Well? Are you going to kill them? Or should I just reap the whole place?”

                “There are innocent people in there,” Turles grumbled. “The bartender and everyone.”

                “How did you even know that we—“

                “I can smell Death wherever it goes,” she said, cutting him off, unwilling to give away that she knew those men and what they’d done to Minako. “I’ll help you,” she said quickly, detransforming into her princess gown. “Close your eyes so I can change clothes.”

                Both men turned their backs, and when she’d cleared her throat, they looked to see her in a tight tank top and a pair of jeans. “You’re going to distract them with those bee stings for tits?” Turles teased.

                “If I didn’t like you, I’d totally rip your soul from your body,” Hotaru said with a happy—and scary— little grin, pinching his cheeks before peering through the window. “And besides, I don’t think they’d be interested in yours, so take what you can get, boys. Just try not to blow me to hell, alright?”

                “After you, by all means,” Bardock rumbled, smirking at the princess of Saturn and mulling over the irony of how something so adorable and unassuming could be so downright fucking deadly. They followed her around the pub and hid in the shadows, keeping their kis low as she went in, and Bardock shook his head as he heard the catcalls and Hotaru sweetly asking if anyone knew how to get to the Temple of Venus.

                “Dear gods, that’ll definitely get them out here,” Turles snorted. And sure enough, Hotaru was already leaving the bar and she was being followed by half a dozen drunkards, some of them insisting that they would pleasure her far better than any priest of lust. “Ibusa’s not with them,” he snarled, stepping out and flinging a ki blast at the group behind the goddess of Death with the intention of drawing him out.

                “Well, that got their attention, boy!” Bardock snarled as he leapt out of the shadows and threw himself into the fight without hesitation, his body blurring out of sight over and over again and he darted around knocking out the men that were already hardly sober enough to stand before he went toe-to-toe with a warrior that was nearly as strong as he was.

                The reinforcements were already pouring out of the bar, and with Bardock’s attention focused on just one enemy, Turles was occupied with watching his father’s back, taking out who he could, and trying to drag Hotaru out of the brawl.

                The little princess of Saturn was a total hellcat as she unleashed her fury upon whomever she could and darted to the next target, utilizing every dirty trick her Papa had taught her when fighting against a man. She was crushing more balls than heads, but her efforts were definitely having an incapacitating effect on her enemies.

                The fight went bad quickly, though, when several more Saiyans came to the aid of Ibusa and his squad, and Turles found himself unable to protect Hotaru’s back any longer as he concentrated on keeping his own skin intact. That was when a blast came out of nowhere, incinerating several of the drunks, and Turles felt a back against his own as someone who could only be an ally fought off the warrior trying to shove a shiv through his neck. “Whoever you are, protect the princess!” Turles barked when three warriors started to gang up on Hotaru.

                “I’m on it!”

                That was when Turles saw the kid from the bar erupt into ki flames of gold, his hair spiking out as it shifted to blonde, and he wound up taking a punch in the jaw from his reaction to the sight of a Legendary. The pain snapped him back to reality and he shoved his awe to the back of his mind as he darted behind his enemy, snapped his neck, and moved on to the next one.

                Overwhelmed by opponents, Bardock was already silently saying his goodbyes to Makoto when he took a small ki blast to the side but kept moving, trying to inflict as much damage as he could before someone got the chance to take him out. It was a good death, at least… to die in battle was every Saiyan’s wish, not in bed at a ripe old age of a thousand. But still, if he could have made love to her, just once…

                He didn’t have time to complete that thought when he heard a battle cry and a flash of gold tackled two men at once, shoving ki blasts through their chests before it returned to aid him, taking a ton of the pressure off of the older Saiyan.

                The moment Bardock could handle himself, the warrior wrapped in golden ki flames darted back out, and he had just enough time to see the young fighter scoop up Hotaru and throw her out of the way of a sizable energy blast, taking all of the force of it himself… and then returning it with his own, completely unscathed.

                He faltered when he saw the scar over the kid’s eye ad it dawned on him that their little helper was actually… a Super Saiyan. “Holy shit,” Bardock gasped, finishing off his last opponent, then looking around to notice that there was no one left to fight. He stepped over Ibusa’s body as he approached the boy slowly, every hair on his neck and arms standing at attention at the sight of so much power. “Your name, boy.”

                “Gohan,” he answered breathlessly, powering down to his normal state. “So… I have to ask what they all did that was so awful that you’d risk taking them all on at once.”

                “One raped four women, for sure,” Turles replied flatly, banishing his nervousness as the kid reverted to black hair and eyes. “The rest of them…” He shot a look to Bardock and sighed. “It’s very hard to explain without giving my father the whole story.”

                “They raped Minako in the last timeline,” Hotaru supplied, limping slightly as she joined them. “Setsuna reversed time, Bardock. After Vegeta attacked the city when Serenity rejected him, we were all captured and taken to Vegeta-sai. Then Serenity eventually killed herself when some idiot blew the Earth up when the people here revolted.”

                Gohan jumped a little at that and shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Revolt,” he mumbled. “I… I remember… fighting… and…” He shook his head again as if to clear it when he saw images of his mother fighting alongside him and both of them barking orders, then looked up at Bardock and Turles. “I think I led it, actually.”

                “You turned on your own kind?” Turles snarled.

                “No,” he snorted in contempt, “I’m half human and I was raised here by my mother. So going with the _Saiyans_ would have been treason. Not the other way around.” His eyes flickered to green when Turles got up in his face and growled, but Bardock used his tail to yank his son away from the Super Saiyan.

                “Boy, no point in getting your ass kicked,” Bardock huffed. “Who was your father, boy?”

                “Kakarot. I was sent here by my mother to find my kin, since the Saiyan armada was in orbit. She’s getting older and she thought it would be a good idea for me to know my Saiyan family. What? What’s that look for? Did you know my father?”

                Bardock swallowed exchanged a long look with Turles before glancing back over to what he now knew was his grandson. “Boy… your father was my youngest son. I… we never spoke of him because he was so weak…” He swallowed again and shook his head. “Honestly, I thought he’d been lost in battle in the next galaxy over.”

                “Dad got into a battle and hit his head, wound up on Earth, and the Ox King and my mother helped nurse him back to health,” Gohan said. “So, my father was an embarrassment?” He asked angrily. “Because he went Super Saiyan way before I did.”

                “Forgive the stupid Saiyan males,” Hotaru chuckled as she watched both of their jaws drop at the news and she brushed her hair out of her bruised face. She grinned when Gohan looked at her in concern and she shrugged. “It’s ok, I’ve gotten way worse with Papa when she’s training me. I’ve dished out just as much though, believe me.” Her grin died when she suddenly felt a jerk in her stomach when they made eye contact, and for the first time in centuries, Hotaru actually took a step back in fear. “Oh _fuck_ no.”

                Turles laughed as he grabbed his nephew by the collar when he lunged forward, and was grateful that the boy was so caught up in his lust that he didn’t think to ascend. “Hold it there, puppy. Let her get a second to adjust before you fuck her brains out. And I must ask… did you wonder why the ten-year-old-looking boy smelled so damned good before you felt the pull for him and realized he was a girl?”

                “Fuck you, Turles!” Hotaru snapped, self-consciously crossing her arms under her small breasts to make them look a little bigger. “I’m over two-thousand years old, thank you very much! And I’m full grown, you douchebag prick!”

                “Keep insulting me and I’ll let the puppy off his leash,” Turles cooed. “Calm down, boy,” he snorted when Gohan growled at him. “It’s just all the bloodlust mixing in with all the other lust and the fact that your mate’s injured. Rein it in, son, before you scare her off or she calls for her Papa. And trust me,” he groaned, “you _don’t_ want to piss off her Papa. You might be ascended and all, but that woman will take your balls and crush them beneath her heels.”

                “Hotaru, relax,” Bardock ordered gently, stepping forward to turn his grandson to him. “Gohan, look at me. Are you going to hurt her?”

                “Of course not,” he growled. “She’s _already_ _hurt_.”

                “Are you going to take her?”

                Gohan seemed to hesitate and turned his face to lick his lips at the sight of a trembling princess of Saturn. “No. She’s scared.”

                “Good boy. Let him go, Turles, and stop teasing the poor girl. She’s frightened enough as it is.”

                The moment Gohan was free, he pulled Hotaru into his arms with his tail and stared down at his shivering prize before bending his face to press his lips to hers. “Mine,” he whispered possessively as he pulled away.

                “Don’t make me reap you,” she replied softly, her voice shaky. The threat was an empty one and they all knew it, but no one mentioned it so that she could save face. “Now let me go. I’m going home.”

                “Yeah, it’s past the little boy’s bedtime,” Turles snorted, followed by a whoosh of air when his father elbowed him in the stomach.

                “Gohan will escort you back, along with myself and Turles,” Bardock said flatly. “And Gohan will stay to keep you safe, but he won’t do anything unless you give him permission. Right son?”

                Gohan nodded, but Hotaru opened her mouth to hotly protest, he growled down at her and tightened his tail around her. “Mine.”

                “Girl, pick your battles when you’re dealing with a Saiyan’s inner beast,” Bardock advised. “Now come on, it’s getting late, and I want to get back to Koto.”

                “You’re injured,” Hotaru said when Bardock moved forward, clearly favoring his side. “Hang on, I can—damn it, dork! Let me go!” She snapped up at Gohan when he wouldn’t relinquish his hold on her. “I can heal wounds, just like Serenity. Now let me go,” she growled.

                Gohan reluctantly released her, and Turles distracted him by inquiring about his brother. “You referred to him in the past tense, boy. How did my brother die?”

                “A heart virus. It’s very rare and very painful and can even get us sick. My mother had me sent away just in case I might get it; I was twelve at the time. I’ve been taking care of my mother and my little brother ever since, but now that Goten’s growing up, Mom said it was time for me to go out and maybe find my family.” His lips twitched up a bit as Hotaru finished up with tending to Bardock and he immediately jerked her back over with his tail. “I didn’t expect to find a mate, too,” he purred into her hair.

                Taking a deep breath, Hotaru fought the urge to reap that came with being grabbed out of nowhere but still shoved at him. Gohan just chuckled down at her and scooped her up in his arms. “Come on, little firefly. Let’s get you patched up, shall we? And don’t squirm,” he added with a little growl, “it’s turning me on, damn it.”

                She instantly went rigid, stiff as a board, and Bardock and Turles cackled like idiots at the deer in the headlights look on her face. Hotaru held still like that the entire way to her temple, but when Gohan wouldn’t put her down she started struggling again and finally just punched him in the face. “I said PUT ME DOWN!” She shouted at him.

                “Well, we’ll be going, then! Enjoy your ten year old boy, nephew!” Turles laughed, grabbing his father by the arm and taking off into the air.

                They both ignored the snarky remark and just stared at each other, anger burning in both of their eyes. “Hit me again, Taru, and I won’t be held respons—“

                Hotaru promptly punched him in the face one more time, followed up by an elbow to the gut, a kick to the nuts when he dropped her, and her foot in his jaw for good measure… until he erupted into golden ki flames and rolling tackled her.

                Gohan wound up on top, her arms pinned beside her head as he snarled down at her and used his teeth to rip the cloth partially concealing her shoulder. “I warned you, woman,” his beast snarled, fully roused by the scent of her and the scent of battle and blood covering both of them. He struck then, his teeth burying deep in her shoulder, his growl steadily becoming more of a purr when she bucked against him then immediately relaxed, moaning softly in the back of her throat.

                “Damn it,” she whimpered.

                Coming to his senses as his beast relinquished control, Gohan groaned and shook his head. “Fuck. Taru, I _tried_ to warn you. Come on,” he sighed, scooping her up in his arms while he simply ignored his raging boner. His beast had given him back control, and since the younger Saiyan had never really had to deal with that side of himself, he was sort of at a loss as to how to leash it. “Where’s your room? We should wash you up, Taru.”

                Reeling from the sensation of sharing his guilt-ridden thoughts combined with all the little sexual fantasies running through it, Hotaru could only whimper, hold her head and point the way. The next thing she knew, she was in a bathtub filling with water and she immediately screamed and covered herself at the feeling of a naked body holding her from behind. “The fuck are you doing, dork!?”

                “You passed out, sweetheart,” Gohan purred softly from behind her. “I was holding you up to keep you from drowning while I washed you. Shh, it’s ok, I’m not going to do anything that I shouldn’t,” he assured her. “My beast and I are both way more concerned with just getting you clean and comfortable for the night, so just relax and stop squirming.”

                Too weak to argue, Hotaru let out a little helpless sob and did as she was told, leaning back and letting him wash her. He was careful and gentle, at least, and even handed over the washrag when it came time to clean between her legs.

                “Alright, firefly, all done,” Gohan finally said. “Can you stay awake long enough for me to wash up, too?” He set her to the side when she nodded and gave her his most winning smile. “Unless, of course, you’d like to help me?”

                “Trade the rag for a knife and I’ll gladly help you,” she grunted, looking away from him as she self-consciously covered her chest. “And I’m telling you now, dork; you’d better enjoy your last night to your fullest, because when Haruka-Papa finds out about this, your ass is grass.”

                “Well, then.” Gohan slid over and kissed her, purring loudly as he snaked his tail around her waist and gently massaged her mark to set her to moaning and pressing against him. Pulling away just as suddenly, he smiled down at her. “So, what else do you suggest?”

                “Huh?”

                “For enjoying my last night to its fullest.” Gohan laughed when she shoved him into the deeper end of the tub and came up smiling at her, swimming back over to kiss her gently. “Don’t be so uptight, sweetheart. I’m not going to take you, ok?” He tried to ease her arms away from her chest and shook his head and just continued to smile when she refused. “Hotaru, it’s ok. You’re my mate, and I already saw you while I was undressing you.”

                “But… but…” She trembled and looked up at him in trepidation when he pulled her arms away and he simply licked his lips and gazed at her like he wanted to eat her alive. “I need an adult,” she squeaked.

                “You are an adult,” he countered smoothly, lifting her into his arms and exiting the tub. Gohan dried them both with his ki and silenced every single protest with a kiss, knowing through the bond that any thought of killing him was long gone, especially since he’d marked her.

                Feeling like the stupid shy teenage girl she’d once been, Hotaru turned bright red under Gohan’s appreciative gaze after he’d placed her in the bed and laid down next to her. “Look, Gohan… I… I’ve never…”

                “I guessed as much,” he whispered, pulling her tightly against him before drawing up the covers. “It’s alright, Taru. I’ve been with a couple virgins and I know what I’m doing. You just let me know when you’re ready to take that step, ok? We won’t until you give me the green light.” Trying for some levity, he lifted the blankets and shook his head, grinning ear to ear. “My uncle’s an idiot, by the way. You definitely don’t look _anything_ like a boy, firefly.”

                “Heh. Neither do you… dork.”

                “Damn right I don’t. I’m **_all_** man, baby.”

##########################################

                Ami woke to a pair of lips gently roaming her own and the sound of a big cat purring loudly, and simply relaxed into the embrace as a hand began to slowly explore beneath her covers… until she heard a soft, approving growl, anyway.

                Then she screamed, bolting upright in the bed, scrambling backwards with her sheets drawn up to cover her body. “Nappa!? What the hell!?” She yelled, panting as she tried to get a handle on her panicking body.

                Nappa had the decency to look wounded and contrite at the same time and gave a little shrug. “I was just… you know? Waking you up. Vegeta told me you eat at six and that I shouldn’t be late.”

                Ami simply sagged forward and facepalmed, groaning in utter annoyance. “I’m going to fucking kill him. That rat bastard, he told you six and knew damned well that I don’t get up until eight.”

                “Oh.” Nappa sighed and stood. “I’ll come back later, then. Sorry I woke you, Blue.”

                The kicked-puppy expression and the way his shoulders were slouching in rejection made Ami sigh and sputter, unable to believe the idea going through her head. “Swear on your tail that you won’t try anything,” she sighed.

                “Ok? I swear it… but why?” He asked as he slowly turned, only to find her lying back down and waving him over. “Really!?” He asked with wide eyes.

                “Don’t make me change my mind,” she grumbled crankily as she turned towards the wall. “And the spandex stays on,” she added quickly.

                “Oh.” Nappa pulled that particular piece of clothing back up from where it was pooling around his ankles and adjusted his semi-arousal with the hopes that he wouldn’t poke her with it. He’d really hate to get kicked out of the bed after receiving an invitation, after all.

                Ami smiled a little when she felt him hesitate, kneeling beside her, and she gave his tail a gentle tug. “Shit or get off the pot, honey. I want to get back to sleep.” She yawned then and couldn’t help but relax when Nappa hesitantly slid in beside her, his tail instantly wrapping around her thigh while his arm went around her waist and his face buried itself in her hair.

                “Blue?”

                Was that a hint of love in his voice, or was it just her? “Hm?” Ami shivered as she felt his teeth rake over her shoulder and nearly leaned into it, every inch of her relaxing from just his scent and the feeling of being held so carefully.

                “I really, really want you.”

                “I know,” she sighed. “Maybe… maybe we’ll talk about it during breakfast, ok?”

                “Whatever you wish, _r’sha_.”


	8. Chapter 8

Makoto stretched and sat up slowly, rubbing at her eyes and yawning, when she realized that she was alone in the bed. “Bardock?” She mumbled. “You up already?” Hell, she didn’t even remember him coming back to bed after he’d gone out with Turles. Maybe he was still gone? She groggily checked the rest of her chambers before retrieving her communicator and wasn’t surprised to see that Mina was wide awake on her end, looking a little frazzled. “They’re still out.”

                “Yes,” the goddess of love answered tersely, “they _are_.”

                Feeling a huge wave of concern for Bardock that unsettled her—since she was supposed to have hated him only two days ago—Mako sat back down on the bed and actually wished for a mating bond so she could at least check on him. “He is ok, right?”

                “Yes,” Mina answered, clearly discussing her ire with her own mate through their bond. “They’re out drinking, and Turles is keeping me blocked from the majority of his thoughts. But I can sense that something happened… likely a fight. I don’t know for sure, he’s been blocking me out since the moon rose last night. You want me to have him give Bardock a message for you?”

                Not trusting her voice, Mako merely shook her head and hung up.

                He was still angry with her, that was it. That had to be it. “Why do I care so much?” She choked out, unable to process why she was on the verge of crying her eyes out. “Why should it matter that he’s so mad at me?” With a huff of sheer frustration through the maelstrom of her mixed emotions, Mako transformed to Sailor Jupiter and headed straight for the palace to resume her duties for the day; it was her turn to guard Serenity and she welcomed the work. Maybe it would help clear her head, being so close to the Silver Crystal.

##################################

                Sighing happily, Ami snuggled tighter into the massive chest that smelled absolutely wonderful, unable to stop herself from nuzzling it gently. She made a sound of pleasure when a set of large hands began to stroke up and down her back absently, the scent in her nose growing stronger as soon as a gentle purr was heard. “Smells so good,” she murmured.

                Not wanting to break her mood, Nappa just kept quiet and smiled down at the gorgeous little bundle of woman in his arms, unable to believe his luck. She was actually pressed against him, sighing sweetly into his bare skin whenever he stroked a particular spot on the back of her neck, rather than hiding out on the bottom of that damnable pool. _I owe Vegeta for giving me the wrong time,_ he thought with a silent chuckle. _This turned out so much better than I could have hoped._

                Closing his eyes, Nappa simply held his intended mate and continued to purr for her, caressing her slowly and occasionally bending his face to hers to steal a gentle kiss. Those kisses were returned, which only made him even more ecstatic, setting his tail to swishing around in his glee. “ _K’sha’or_?” He finally rumbled into her hair, praying to every god he could think of that she would say yes.

                That broke Ami out of her half sleep and she opened her eyes to stare up at him, her cheeks turning bright red at the realization that it wasn’t a dream, that she was really snuggling with Nappa. “Um… uh… my apologies. I… didn’t mean to lead you on or anything. I was dreaming.”

                “Heh, that’s awfully flattering, Blue. You were dreaming of me… I hope I was good in it.” Nappa chuckled when she sat up and cupped her cheek before pulling her back down to him for a long, slow kiss. “Mmm… now that’s a nice way to wake up.”

                Ami blushed brightly then and it only got worse when her door suddenly opened and a priestess entered carrying a tray, only to stop and stare at the two of them for a moment. The priestess’s lips turned up in a grin at the sight of the goddess of wisdom looking a little disheveled, her hair tousled and one of the straps of her gown sliding off of her shoulder. “Well, now I know why the cook made enough for two. Don’t mind me,” she said quickly, unable to wipe the grin off her face as she set the tray down on the nightstand. “Continue!”

                “It’s not what it looks—“

                “Hush, Blue,” Nappa rumbled pleasantly, pulling the goddess of Mercury to him to nip at her lower lip. “It can be whatever this woman thinks it is, since you’ll be mine soon enough.”

                The scarlet coloring of her face only made the priestess giggle. “I’ll be going then! Don’t let my interruption stop you, Lord Nappa!”

                With the priestess gone, Nappa’s purr got a little louder as he looked down to see the same thing she’d seen—Ami was simply a vision, looking as if she was on her way to being well-loved, the scent of her arousal speaking of the exact same thing to his sensitive nose. “Where were we?” He breathed against her lips, his hands resuming their gentle motions up and down her back, itching to move around to the front to tease her senseless.

                “I believe we were, um…” Ami swallowed as she felt his tail slip up her nightgown to wrap about her upper thigh, the silk of his fur whispering briefly over the center of her panties. “…about to eat breakfast?” She finished hopefully.

                Mercury blinked in surprise when Nappa suddenly righted her gown and kissed her once more, only to sit them both up and pull the tray into his lap. “I… I thought you were going to…”

                “Do you want me to?” He asked hopefully.

                Yes! No. And yes again. “No?” She finally answered, the word sounding far more like a question than a statement.

                “Whatever my mate wishes,” Nappa said gently, pulling her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. “I swore on my tail, remember?” His lips twitched up at the conflicting look of relief and desire in her eyes and he was tempted to just finish what he started… but no. He’d promised. “Just know that once breakfast is over and I’ve left your room, you have a single hour before I resume the chase.” The disappointed look in her eyes made him pause as he uncovered the plates on the tray. “What’s wrong, Blue?”

                “I… I was kind of enjoying spending time together without any expectations,” she admitted softly.

                “I am, too, _r’sha_. But there won’t be much of it during the next two days. So long as the moon is up, I’ll be rather out of control. Would you… I don’t know, like to have breakfast with me again tomorrow?”

                Ami simply nodded shyly, unable to deny to herself how perfect it had felt to let him hold her.

                “Six in the morning? Or eight?”

                Licking her lips just at the thought of waking up to his scent and his touch, Ami mumbled out “six” and turned an impossibly brighter shade of crimson.

                “I’ll be here with bells on, Blue,” Nappa purred as he held a fork to her lips. “Eat, _r’sha m’yo_.”

                “I can feed myself,” she said, trying to sound firm. But her voice only came out soft and meek as he gazed down at her, a softness in the Saiyan general’s eyes that she was sure no one but herself had ever seen.

                “It’s part of Saiyan courtship, Blue. Eat. Or if you prefer, we can lay back down and enjoy each other a little more.” Nappa grinned when she quickly took the offered bite without any further coaxing, then fed himself one and her another. “Maybe we’ll enjoy each other after we eat; I’m sure I can rein in my beast for a little while longer, Blue.”

                ####################################

                Being close to Serenity did help her, but Mako was only stressed out once more when Haruka shoved her into a corner and stared her down with those piercing blue eyes. “What did I do?”

                “Not you! That Saiyan of yours! Him, Minako’s mate, and some kid demolished half a block in my district last night, killed over a dozen men, and then that puppy took off with my daughter!” She shouted.

                Mako’s eyes went wide at that and immediately began to fill with tears of worry. “Is he ok!? Oh gods, I need to go and check on—“ She was cut off and shoved back against the wall when she tried to escape, and she instantly shocked the hell out of her sister in retaliation.

                Seeing her mistake, Ruka grit her teeth and eased up. “He’s fine, Turles took him to a pub in Michiru’s district and they’re probably still drinking. What I want to know is why they started a fight in the first place, and who in the hell this younger warrior is so I can _kill_ him. I’ve even been barred entry to the Temple of Saturn, and if he’s deflowered my little firefly, I will cut off his balls.”

                “Ruka, I know as little as you do. Why don’t you ask Prince Vegeta?”

                “I already tried that. He told me the damages would be taken care of and that it was a Saiyan matter. He was also so damned diplomatic about the whole thing I couldn’t even find an excuse to knock his ass out.”

                “Sounds like you like him a little,” Mako chuckled.

                “He’s a spoiled, arrogant little prick… but if he makes Koneko happy, then fine. Just as long as he keeps his hands to himself with Sere, I’ll leave him alone.”

                “And if Serenity wants his hands to stray?” She asked cheekily, grinning the moment Haruka snarled in response. “She’s a grown woman, Ruka. And if she wants him, I think she should fuck his brains out. Vegeta’s an ass, but… damn if that ass ain’t hot, too. He’s not my type but I can see the appeal. And he’s nice to her; he clearly loves her and she seems to care about him, so I think she should go for it. If he treats her well and she’s happy, that’s what should matter. Hell, watching him with her the last week, Vegeta doesn’t even seem like a bad guy.”

                “Penises are so gross,” Haruka muttered, sounding like a little girl. “I don’t get what you girls see in men. Give me tits and ass all day long and I’m happy.”

                “See, woman? Something we can finally fucking agree on,” Vegeta chortled from behind her, ducking smoothly the moment she swung at him. “Don’t get your fuku in a twist, woman. I was only coming to inform you about Hotaru’s whereabouts. I finally got ahold of the puppy on his father’s old scouter.” Seeing that he had Haruka’s complete attention, Vegeta continued. “His name is Gohan, and he’s Bardock grandbrat. And word has it that he’s also a Legendary Super Saiyan,” he added with a jealous glint to his eyes. “Of course the House of Bardock would beat me to it,” he muttered.

                “Is that it? Where’s he at so I can shove his cock down his throat?”

                Vegeta held up his hands in a peaceful gesture and shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend that, woman. It seems that they’ve felt the pull, and Gohan’s beast was very close to the surface when we spoke. I have a bad feeling about you bothering him and the girl when he hasn’t claimed her yet. And he has marked her,” he added quickly, “so it’s done even if he hasn’t taken her to bed. It’s not worth having a Super Saiyan go batshit crazy; he’ll only kill you and anything in his path, and likely destroy over half the city in his rage.”

                The prince groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose when the goddess of Uranus immediately flew into a tirade of swearing in Japanese and left a few dents in the wall behind Mako’s head. “Look. Haruka, I would have already handled this myself if I thought for even a moment that it would have worked. But it won’t, and there’s only going to be bloodshed as a result if you interfere with Gohan’s courtship of Hotaru. And I guarantee you that innocents will be caught in the crossfire if you do.”

                “Ruka, he won’t take her if she says no,” Makoto informed her gently. “Bardock’s older and has less control over that sort of thing, but he’s even managed to control his beast whenever I’ve told him no.”

                “Mako’s right,” Vegeta agreed. “Hotaru isn’t getting her precious cherry popped unless she agrees to it.”

                “And she’s an adult, Ruka,” Mako adding, moving to stand beside her soon-to-be brother-in-law, both of them cutting impressive figures as they identically crossed their arms and faced Sailor Uranus. “She’s only twenty years younger than you, and you’re over two thousand years old. You have to let her leave the nest sometime. And if it’s because she’s in love and happy, well… isn’t that what you _want_? For her to be happy?”

                Haruka had no response for that; she merely punched the wall again. “Fine,” she snarled before storming off.

##################################

                “You look like shit, Vegeta.”

                “Why thank you, _r’sha_ ,” the crown prince grumbled, cracking his eyes open just enough to regard the queen. “I just got through dealing with the Temple of Mercury… I’ve never met better negotiators in my life.”

                “Well, being smart and crafty is sort of part of their gift,” Serenity chuckled as she took a seat next to him in her sitting room. “So… you were waiting for me?”

                “Mmm,” he replied sleepily, “papers are on the table, they need your signature.”

                “Geta, you need a nap. Come on,” she urged, tugging on his arm. She didn’t meet any resistance—not like she thought she would—and helped him into her own bed, sighing in only slight annoyance when he pulled her in with him and nuzzled her shoulder, his tail winding securely about her thigh.

                “I wonder if I’ve earned a little contact with all my hard work on behalf of your kingdom,” he murmured against her skin.

                “Fine,” she sighed, tilting her head to capture his lips with her own. Serenity’s previous tone didn’t quite match her zeal as he returned her kiss and she slipped her tongue past his lips, moaning softly into his mouth as her arms went around him.

                Surprised by her bold move, Vegeta could only kiss her for a long while before he realized she was growing awfully aroused by it and he finally rolled on top of her, letting his beast take the wheel as it pounded away at his skull to take even more than just a kiss.

                Unable to stop the moan escaping her mouth, Serenity arched into his hands as they slipped between them to slowly caress her breasts. His touch felt so wonderful, so right that she hooked a leg around his waist and whimpered as he ground down into her core, pressing his arousal to her clit through their clothing.

                “I want to make you come, Sere,” Vegeta groaned between kisses, thrusting into her again to rip another sweet sound of pleasure from her throat.

                The boldness of his words had her flushing and coming to her senses, but she tried to keep her protest free of any anger as he continued to kiss her. Hell, she’d initiated it, not him. Hopefully now he’d listen. “Gods… Geta… need to… to stop…”

                And as soon as the words left her lips Vegeta froze, growling softly under his breath as he wrestled control away from his beast and sagged against her. Her look of simple shock made him shake his head and kiss her gently. “You thought I wouldn’t stop,” he murmured. Serenity’s nod made him sigh and Vegeta rolled off of her and onto his side, grunting as his arousal pressed to her momentarily during the movement. “I’m not doing anything you’re not comfortable with, Sere. I’d refuse to force you.”

                “Geta… thank you,” she whispered. “For… for understanding.”

                “You’re welcome, _r’sha_. You come to me when you want more,” he replied wearily.

############################

                Ami simply couldn’t take it anymore; Nappa’s presence had definitely affected her more than expected and she found her body aching unbearably just from the brief contact they’d had that morning. Gods, she’d had all day to cool off and still couldn’t seem to get the feeling of his hands out of her mind!

Sighing over what a pervert she was becoming, she decided to do something she’d never done before and went into her bathroom, locking the door behind her before running the huge tub full of water.

                She stripped as the bathtub—more like a small swimming pool, really—began to steam while it filled, and she tried her best to remember her sister’s little tale about how water could be used for something besides swimming or fighting. Blushing at the memory of Michiru’s story about using the hot water in her bath to pleasure herself, Ami sputtered at her own sexual shyness and ran her fingers through her hair. “No one has to know,” she whispered, “and you’ve been awfully curious about it, anyway.”

                After all, she’d never experienced an orgasm before and—“That’s it,” the princess of Mercury said firmly. “It’s a scientific experiment, nothing more. Just to see what it’s like.” With that said, she stepped into the tub with her proverbial nerd glasses on and took a seat where it was only neck deep. “Ok… so… now what?”

                Her powers never really responded to her verbally, but rather within her mind, simply showing her what it meant without speaking and vice-versa. And rarely at that. But they were doing that this time as she summoned them up and they were questioning what she wanted. “I don’t know,” she responded, lying back against a headrest. “This is an experiment with pleasure and what Michiru once told me about using the water to find sexual relief.”

                Since water came from pretty much the same sources all over the city, her powers took only a moment to discover what the goddess of the ocean had been up to in her own bath. Yet again it asked her what she wanted; only Ami knew that now it wanted specifics. “I don’t know,” she answered a second time. “Clearly I’ve never done this before. I’m joined with Mercury mentally so… I guess just look into my subconscious?”

                The water was communicating with her again and asking yet again for specifics, informing her that her sister had set several different levels of pleasure depending upon how much time she had to bathe before going to bed or out on duty.

                Apparently there was the quickie, and what her sister referred to as mind-blowing, along with quite a few different levels and time lengths in-between.  “Well, it’s my first time, I may as well make it memorable, right? All or nothing in the name of science,” Ami chuckled. “Make it mind-blowing, I guess, so long as my virginity remains intact I suppose I’m open to spending a long time in the water.”

                According to the water, her virginity wouldn’t be a problem despite what she highly suspected was to be full-on lovemaking, and her scientific curiosity was fully aroused at the idea. Along with other parts of her. “So… actual sex, then?”

                _Yes._

“No shit,” she mused aloud, growing more and more intrigued by the moment. Sex without taking her virginity? That was just too tempting to ignore. “Well, go ahead, then?” Then something occurred to her and she mentally told the water to hang on. “ _Not_ anal sex.”

                If the water could actually laugh at her, Ami had a feeling that it would have been as it assured her that that was not what she was about to experience. “Ok, then,” she sighed in relief. “Just look into my subconscious then and— ** _oh_**. That’s _nice_ ,” she sighed, instantly relaxing against several hands gently massaging her back.

                Ami made a happy little noise as the water cradled her and held her up while a few more hands joined in and continued those slow, steady movements over her muscles, kneading the tension from her shoulders and around her spine. She tensed for only a moment as two of them moved lower and began to work the muscles of her bottom, but then her mind was taken off of where they were when a few more added to the mix and began to move over her legs and arms. “Oh, wow. This is so relaxing,” Ami murmured, leaning her head forward to give a set of fingers access to the back of it.

                All of that firm massaging continued for a long time, a few more hands joining in occasionally until she was covered in them everywhere, all but for her chest and between her legs. “This is actually getting a little frustrating,” she admitted softly, referring mostly to the pair of hands caressing her upper thighs. The thumbs were just barely brushing over her outer folds, teasing her as they simultaneously soothed her.

                As if in response to her words, several hands slid up and began to touch her breasts, making her arch and moan softly the moment she felt something pinching and tugging at her nipples. “Oh my… that feels so good…” Another moan erupted from her throat as the fingers tweaking the pink buds were replaced with what felt like tongues and one of those phantom hands began to deliberately stroke along the crease of her aching sex. “Yes… please… please touch me…”

                She let out a frustrated whimper when the hand only barely parted her folds and began to whisper just inside of them, avoiding her clit as the mass of hands massaging her entire body continued to set her on fire. And as she begged softly for more, the tongues licking and swirling over her nipples became pairs of lips and began to suck, making her arch and moan deliriously, full-on begging for the fingers between her thighs to pleasure her. “Please…! Dear gods, maybe I should have just asked for the quickie!”

                Five more minutes of that wonderful, delicious teasing had her crying out softly as the mouths latching onto her breasts began to suck harder, nibbling and biting down lightly on occasion, and Ami’s voice rose up towards the ceiling of her bathroom as she screamed out from a sudden tidal wave of unexpected pleasure rushing through her.

                The mouths and hands covering every inch of her flesh below the neck eased back a little at that while she panted and trembled and fought for air. “Sweet Mercury… did I just…?” Apparently she had, and the gentle touches against her sex became more deliberate once she was sure she wouldn’t pass out. “Again?” She whispered. “Yes… _please_ yes… _please don’t stop_ ,” she sighed as she felt a finger carefully probe her heat before gently caressing her clit in one slow circle, making her purr with pleasure. “Feels so good… yes… please make me come again… mmm… this is the best thing I’ve ever felt…”

                Fulfilling her request, the water didn’t tease her this time and continued those slow, lazy motions, feathering the set of fingers back and forth and around in tiny circles over her clit, drawing more soft moans from the goddess of Mercury as the constant massaging of the rest of her kept her relaxed and pliant in the phantom arms holding her tightly.

                Ami arched into those fingers the moment the mouths at her breasts began to bite down and tug at her nipples again, moaning loudly at the sweet mixture of pain and pleasure when the fingers against her sex turned into yet another mouth and started licking and sucking at her gently. She came undone for the second time the moment she felt something hot press into her entrance, her sex pulsing and quivering around the single digit pushing into her, her moans becoming strangled as Nappa’s name left her lips.

                It all stopped just then, the hands, the mouths, everything… and Ami shivered at the knowledge that she’d just called out her Saiyan suitor’s name. “Dear gods… I want him so badly it’s making me insane,” she whispered. “I’m even moaning his name when he isn’t here… I’m in love with him… aren’t I?”

                _You want him?_ The water asked without using words.

                Ami licked her lips slowly and as she nodded she felt the hands encompass her once more and tug her below the surface. A mouth was suddenly trailing up her throat and her head tipped back submissively in reaction as the finger between her thighs returned and pressed into her once more, joined within moments by two more. “Nappa,” she whispered underwater, lifting her hips in total surrender. “Make love to me…”

                _Not yet,_ the water responded.

                Ami whined a bit as the fingers began to gently and carefully stretch her, massaging and circling her entrance as they stroked deeper and she felt a pair of digits pinching and sliding along the sides of the hood covering her clit. “Ah… please…” She was about to beg when the fingers subtly shifted and changed a little and she felt what could only be a male arousal moving inside of her, just short of her virginity. “Mmm… that feels nice,” she whispered, fleetingly realizing that what she was feeling was not even close to Nappa’s size; the water was simply preparing her, stretching her out for the main event, and her suspicions were confirmed when she felt it swell and widen slightly.

                She moaned in response to that, rocking upwards just as the fingers playing with the hood of her clit became a mouth once more and began to suck at her gently. “Going to come again,” she whimpered. “Please… please let me feel it,” she cried out. That cry became a low moan of desire when the cock between her thighs withdrew for a moment, only to be replaced with one that was much wider than its predecessor. “ _Yes_ … please gods, yes… make love to me, Nappa… want you inside of me…”

                The hundreds of fingers on her skin were no longer massaging her as the hardness inside of her pushed forward—they were gently stroking every inch of skin, soothing her as she writhed in discomfort despite the aching desire to be filled and taken. There was no expected flash of pain, though, as the water flowed around and through the opening in her hymen as it filled her completely, stretching her almost painfully without breaking the proof of her virginity.

                Ami was about to protest and ask for it to stop when the mouth at her neck ghosted over her own and began kissing her softly, and all thoughts of ceasing it were wiped from her mind as she felt a hot, wet tongue part her lips to duel with hers. She felt a body against her in the water, a bald head cradled in her hands as she arched upwards and moaned in permission for her lover to move, and even though she knew she would see nothing but water if she opened her eyes, the man loving her tenderly was definitely her idea of Nappa.

                Well, at least what she thought he would be like once his initial lust for her was satisfied.

                The soft kisses continued as the body pressing against hers began to move slowly and she felt mouths suckling her once more between her legs and at her breasts. “Gods… Nappa… I’m about to—“ Ami yelled beneath the waterline when he suddenly thrust into her harder and an unbelievably strong climax crashed through her, making her shake from the force and sag the moment it subsided. “Don’t stop,” she begged just before that mouth crashed into hers again and the warm body against her began to move steadily, making her moan into the passionate kiss as she clutched at a hard, broad back.

                Several orgasms later, Ami trembled as she fought to stay conscious as she felt herself spiraling up yet again and the mouth between her legs returned to suckle her once more. “Come with me,” she whimpered desperately, so absorbed in the fantasy and her state of exhaustion that for her, it really was Nappa making love to her. “Want… want you to feel good too, _r’sha_ … please come with me, Nappa…”

                She drug his mouth back down to hers as she felt him quicken and swell  just as she began to tighten and moaned his name in ecstasy when she felt him taking his pleasure deep inside of her. “So good,” she whispered against his lips as he continued to caress her gently. There were only two hands on her body by that point, but they were better than the sensation of dozens of them by a longshot. Because they were _his_. “Love you,” she gasped when he gave her a teasing little thrust and nipped at her throat. “But… I think I’ll pass out if we go like that again, _r’sha_ …”

                The warm, inviting body against her was suddenly gone and Ami shivered as her eyes cracked open. Turning a bright shade of red, she was mortified to realize that it had been the water and not actually Nappa making love to her. “Oh dear gods,” she whispered. “I really am in love with him.” She came up for air then and was grateful that the tub was equipped to keep the water hot; the clock on the wall said that it was well past one in the morning, which meant she’d been in the throes of passion for well over three hours. “Ok, Ami,” she sighed to herself. “It looks like you need to see Mina in the morning after you’re through with breakfast. Yeah, that’s it. I’ll get some pointers from her and figure all this shit out tomorrow.”

                Utterly worn out, she toweled off quickly and dismissed a flash of disappointment over her bed being empty; how wonderful it would have been to curl up against him after all that sweet lovemaking, to draw in his scent as she dozed in his arms. “Tomorrow,” she groaned to herself, simply yanking a gown over her head before climbing under the covers. “Worry about it tomorrow, damn it.”

############################################

                “I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

                Vegeta turned his head and blinked at the crown princess in surprise, then shrugged a little and nodded. His demeanor changed, however, when he entered his chambers and she tried to follow him. “Girl, I’m an unmated warrior, and you’re too young and too pretty to be in here without an escort. Especially on the full moon, and especially with the resemblance you have to your mother. I’m wound too tight right now to have _any_ female in here.”

                “But you’re… _family_ ,” Chibi-Usa ground out grudgingly. “And you and I are going to have a little talk about my mother.”

                Well, he wasn’t going to deny the familial claim, he’d worked too hard to gain some approval from the daughter of his intended. “Come in… daughter,” he sighed, yanking his armor over his head and throwing it to the side before doing the same to his boots, gloves and shirt. Vegeta then flopped down on the bed face-first and mumbled into the comforter. “Speak your peace and then leave… I’m tired.”

                “I know, and I apologize for disturbing you when you’re clearly worn out… and on my behalf, too. I really do owe you for shouldering all of this blame, and then Mother’s subtle form of punishment for it. I swear, I think I’d rather be flogged than have to deal with court business,” she admitted. “But… have you… you know? Helios…?”

                “Working on it,” he mumbled. “Honestly, I think the boy prefers dick over pussy…” He sat up a little and rubbed at his eyes. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it would make things very difficult when trying to produce an heir for the crown.”

                “Funny, I always got that idea, too,” Usa giggled. “I’m actually happy to hear someone else voice it. Now that I’ve actually kissed someone besides him, I realize that it was like kissing my brother or something. No spark at all, you know?”

                “Yeah, I’ve been there, girl,” Vegeta sighed. “ _Not_ with your mother, though,” he added, the longing for Serenity in his voice making it rough and choked.

                “Curls your toes?”

                “Heh… something like that,” he allowed. “Tell me, has she said anything about me, Usa?”

                “Actually… I haven’t spoken with her since she found out about Broly,” the princess admitted softly. “Is she still mad at me?”

                “Annoyed more than anything. I think you should go talk to her… and then maybe change the subject to myself…?” He added with a smirk and a waggle of his brows.

                Chibi-Usa smiled and tipped her head in acknowledgement. “I don’t see why not… _ja’ta_. After all, I owe you big time. And thank you again for your interference, Broly and I both agree that your story was a hell of a lot better than ours.”

                “Girl… are you ok with all of this?” Vegeta asked suddenly, frowning deeply at the fact that he actually cared what she thought. “Your mother and I? I know you and father were very close.”

                “Daddy would have wanted Momma to be happy,” Usa answered softly. “Before, you weren’t doing that. But this time I think you just might do it right. I want her to be happy, too.”

                “Hm, very mature of you, girl.”

                “I grew up an awful lot the first go-round, _da’ta_.”

                “ _Old man_? Seriously? Girl, you’re about to get an ass whooping.” Vegeta couldn’t help a smirk, though; the princess definitely had her mother’s sass.

                “Well, you’re looking awfully old right now, _da’ta_. Maybe you should get some sleep,” Usa teased as she stepped up to the bed and kissed his cheek. “Night. I’ll keep anyone from bothering you for the next eight hours.”

                “Thank you, girl,” Vegeta sighed, unable to stop the way he was suddenly warming up to her much more than he’d expected.


	9. Chapter 9

“You’re awake.”

                Sleepily blinking her eyes open, Hotaru immediately blushed brightly at the sight of a very handsome, naked man in the bed with her. She scrambled back after a moment of just staring at him, clutching the sheet tightly over her bare body, her eyes wide in utter fear.

                “Whoa, firefly!” Gohan quickly snagged her by the ankle with his tail when she nearly fell off the bed, but didn’t drag her over to him; she was simply too scared and he wouldn’t do anything to make her panic further. “It’s ok, sweetheart. You’ve been out for over a day and I was starting to get worried. How are you feeling?”

                “Terrified,” she blurted out, unable to stop the word from escaping her mouth. “Now let go of me,” she added with false steel in an attempt to save face.

                “If I do you’ll fall off the bed,” Gohan pointed out gently, trying not to chuckle at the way she immediately scooted a little closer to him. He unwound his tail from her ankle then and grabbed some of the sheet, pulling it over his lap. “There. A little less intimidating?”

                Hotaru merely grunted and looked away, her face flushing brightly as her mind unwillingly made her picture what she’d just seen between his legs. The hell was wrong with her!? _I should be reaping him and going on about my business._

“I think if you were going to do that, you already would have, sweetheart,” Gohan sighed, trying his damnedest not to get annoyed with her as he once again reminded himself that she was a scared virgin and that acting hard and mean seemed to be her way of coping with her fears.

                “I’m not coping,” she shot back nastily. “I’m Death’s Mistress, and I have been for centuries. I’m meant for _no_ man.” Hell, no man had ever even had the stones to approach her before last night, and already this Saiyan warrior had seen her naked!

                “I get it,” Gohan said softly, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. “All of them were too terrified of what you can do, so you never even got so much as a date. Well, I’m not scared of you, Taru. At all. And you shouldn’t be afraid of me, either.”

                _That’s why I’m afraid of him,_ she realized silently. _No man in his right mind wouldn’t at least approach me with a healthy level of caution._

“Funny… you know… I had the same problem back home. After I ascended, a lot of people were really uneasy about the amount of power I can wield.”

                “Will you please stop reading my thoughts?” Hotaru huffed, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them close to her. “It is really starting to get on my fucking nerves, dork.”

                Undeterred by the ice in her voice when he could feel her true emotions through the bond, Gohan gave her an understanding smile and slid close enough to reach out and grasp her hand. “It’s the main reason my mother asked me to seek out my roots, you know. She was worried about what the people in our village might do to me if they got too scared… like they actually could hurt me. But still, she was concerned for my well-being, so I left.” He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when she seemed to soften at that, and Gohan dared to move forward a little more. “And Taru, I’m very sorry about last night. I’m not used to my beast at all, and it simply seized control and I had no previous experience with which to fight it. The scent of blood and fighting and death and then of you… and the fact that you were hurt, too… it brought out the Saiyan in me. Forgive me?”

                Hotaru shied away from the fingers that suddenly caressed a fading bruise on her cheek. “If you want me to forgive you, then don’t do that,” she hissed out.

                “Do what?” Gohan asked in confusion.

                “Touch me, that’s what.”

                Gohan facepalmed and shook his head slowly. “You’re my mate, Taru. And if we don’t want another domineering incident like last night, giving me basic contact would be a very good idea. Touching you and smelling you calms me down. It helped a lot over the last day, you know. Every time someone would try to come in I managed to get myself under control by just breathing in your scent and holding you.”

                “PERVERT!” Hotaru yelled, smacking him upside the head with a pillow as hard as she could. She continued to rain feather-laden blows over his head until she heard his laughter over her own screams of fury, then stopped and growled down at him. “You think this is… _funny_!?”

                “Yes, because I didn’t think it would work so easily!” Gohan cackled. “Getting you mad enough to forget to be afraid!”

                “You… you… ASSHOLE!” Hotaru immediately whacked him one more time for good measure and sat back down with a ‘humph.’ “So you didn’t take liberties, then.”

                Gohan grinned and shook his head. “Oh, I held you alright, little firefly… but I must admit, I think that doing so while you’re awake and squirming will be much more enjoyable.”

                “Try it and I swear you’ll regret it,” Hotaru growled back at him.

                “Mmm… is that a challenge, _r’sha_ …? Because I’m very determined to relish the experience.” Before she could reply, Gohan smoothly snagged her with his tail and purred with delight at the riled anger in her eyes just before he caught her lips up with his own and proceeded to kiss her deeply. He pulled back only when she was breathless and squirming—just as he’d wanted her—and reveled at the sight of desire in the violet orbs locked with his. There was still anger there by the truckloads, yes, but there wasn’t a hint of fear mixed in with it or even through the bond. She was simply pissed and aroused, and that mixture made his beast purr happily as he bent his head to nip at her lower lip. “Not regretting this at all, baby. I think you were wrong.”

                Hotaru immediately headbutted him and yanked herself out of his grasp. “How about now!?” She snapped at the Saiyan holding his broken nose.

                “Nope,” he groaned, his eyes squinted tight in reaction to the instinctive tears welling up in his eyes. “Damn it… you just had to break my _nose_! I hate it when that happens!”

                Feeling his pain through the bond, Hotaru bit back another scathing remark and wondered at the wave of guilt rushing through her. Damn it all to hell… she _liked_ him. That was all it could possibly mean. She hadn’t felt remorse for inflicting well-deserved pain in centuries, but here she was, itching to reach out and use her gifts to heal his injury.

                She made a strangled little noise of frustration at her mixed emotions before giving in to the urge to move back over, and her healer’s hands gently eased his away from his face so she could erase the damage. “Sorry,” she grumped. “I shouldn’t have hit you.”

                Gohan sighed as the pain faded and he felt his nose righting itself. “Kiss me and make it better, sweetheart?” He’d been half-joking and hadn’t expected to feel her lips pressing gently to his, but Gohan immediately returned it and started purring again when she didn’t draw back and only continued to let him caress her mouth with his own. “Apology accepted,” he whispered between kisses, drawing her flush against him to enjoy her bare skin sliding against his.

                He stopped when he scented a renewed touch of fear mixing in with her arousal and gently stroked the breast he’d been cupping for several minutes. “Hotaru, I won’t hurt you. I swear it.”

                “I know,” she whispered shakily, sensing the truth in his words through the bond. He would stop if she said so, but it didn’t help to ease the nervous trembling in her body.

                “Then why are you so scared of me, sweetheart?”

                The tenderness in his eyes made her lower lip quiver and she quickly looked away when his purr shifted to one of comfort and he gently began to run his fingers through her shoulder-length hair. “I’m afraid of change,” she finally confessed. “Change scares the hell out of me after two-thousand years of routine.”

                “Did it scare you when you were taken to Vegeta-sai?”

                “It terrified me. But that was different; I was doing my duty to my queen by fighting and reaping and then aiding her and Usagi. Changes in my duties I can handle… changes in my _life_ …” Hotaru shook her head slightly but didn’t shove him away when he tipped her chin up so that she was looking at him again. “I’m also afraid _for_ you,” she said without thinking.

                “Your Papa?”

                “Reaping you now would be much kinder than what Haruka-Papa will do to you, Gohan. She’ll utterly destroy you.”

                The fear in her eyes was as raw as ever as she spoke and Gohan was warmed by her genuine concern. “Being the male head of your house… sort of, anyway… I probably should have a talk with your father, firefly. It would be the honorable thing to do, even if you _are_ a grown woman. Will it help to put you at ease?”

                “Not if she splatters you all over the wall,” Hotaru replied shakily.

                “Heh… I think someone likes me,” Gohan chuckled. “Am I growing on you, sweetheart?”

                The usual Hotaru was back for a moment and she rolled her eyes. “Like a parasite. And if you meet Papa, do it in the shower.”

                “Wha?”

                “So you don’t get your blood all over my carpet. It’s much easier to clean up that way,” she explained with a nervous little smile. Hotaru couldn’t help but enjoy the vibration of his laughter against her chest as he buried his face in her hair, but once it died out she began to tremble again. “So… you’re really going to talk to my Papa?”

                “Yes, _r’sha_. You’re still healing from the fight, so probably tomorrow or the day after.” Gohan lifted her face to look at her again and tried for a reassuring smile despite his own growing nervousness from the very idea of talking to a goddess of combat. “It’ll be alright, baby. I promise. And then after, we’ll go as slow as you want and I’ll court you properly.”

                “But?” Hotaru asked expectantly.

                “But I’d like to retain access to your bed every night if that’s alright. Your presence soothes me and it’s not like we haven’t already seen each other.”

                Hotaru utterly stunned herself by inclining her head in consent despite her misgivings over having a naked man in her bed. But to be perfectly honest… “You too,” she admitted. “Something about the way you smell.”

                “It’s the pull and the half-bond,” he purred, bending his head to nip at her shoulder, his chest rattling louder at the instant moan that erupted from her mouth. “Gods, I want to make love to you so badly, firefly.”

                Hotaru felt a strong urge to just nod and let him have her; something about that mark and the way he was nipping and kissing it had her feeling soft and relaxed and she utterly trusted him in that moment. “No,” she whispered. “M—Maybe… maybe after… if you survive Papa. Maybe.”

                “Can we make out?” Gohan asked hopefully, his tail wagging in the air at the very idea.

                “Stop the tail thing,” she whimpered as she inhaled his pheromones and felt a deep ache between her thighs.

                “Oh! Er, sorry, Taru,” Gohan said sheepishly as he wrapped it about her waist. “It does that sometimes when I’m aroused,” he confessed.

                She turned crimson as she realized just _how_ aroused he was and the fact that the evidence had been pressing into her stomach the entire time. “Um… uh… Gohan…? Can we, um… maybe cover that thing up or something?”

                “Impressed?” Gohan asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. “Heh, don’t worry about him, sweetheart. He won’t bite you. He might spit if you mess with him, but he definitely doesn’t bite. That’s _my_ job,” he added with a whisper in her ear.

                “That sounds… utterly disgusting,” Taru mumbled, looking down at what was so blatantly male.

                “Heh… nah. A little messy, maybe. But no more than you’ll be if I get you off, too,” he chuckled. “Trust me, I plan on getting you so wet that you’ll be sticky to your knees.”

                “Again… ew.” Hotaru crinkled her nose at the idea despite the fact that it was arousing; damn if the act of sex didn’t sound messy as hell.

                “What, _r’sha_?” Gohan half-purred, half-growled. “Would you like to make a mess with me? I’m sure you know it, but I’m loving the idea of coming all over you,” he teased, laughing when she made a disgusted face. “So fun to fuck with you, beautiful.”

                “Thank the gods, you were kidding,” Hotaru sighed in relief. “Gods, don’t do that to me, Gohan!” She snorted, whacking his arm lightly.

                “I could just come inside of you,” he suggested, nibbling at her earlobe as he purred the words and rocked against her a single time. “Gods, it would feel _so_ good for you, too, baby…” Gohan couldn’t even finish the thought before his lips found hers once more and he kissed her heatedly, his hands sliding up to tease and stroke the undersides of her breasts.

                Hotaru found herself relaxing at the scent coming from his tail and the sound of his gentle purring and sighed with pleasure at the sensation of his hands slowly, gently exploring her. “Gohan… is it… supposed to…” She blushed as she licked her lips and he drew back, resting his forehead to hers. “Is it supposed to feel this good?” She finished in a hoarse whisper.

                “Firefly, if you think this feels great, just wait until my face is between your legs,” he growled softly, the very thought turning him on to no end. The feeling of his beast really taking over made him stop from tipping her back onto the bed and wrapping her legs around his shoulders, though. Because once he started something like that, he likely wouldn’t be able to stop until he’d had his satisfaction inside of her. “I need to take a cold shower, Taru, unless you don’t want me to stop.”

                Her body aching to feel what she’d heard her Momma and Papa talk about in hushed whispers between only each other, Hotaru had to actually take a full minute before she shook her head. “Better ask Papa’s permission first,” she breathed against his lips.

                “Gods, Taru… when your voice gets all low like that I just want to fuck your brains out and make you scream until you faint.”

                Moaning softly at his words, she initiated a kiss for the first time and found herself nibbling and sucking at his lower lip as she’d seen Usagi do to Broly, her hands sliding over his sculpted muscles before finding the base of his tail. It was like a rope of silk in her hands and the way it made him suddenly thrust against her and growl out something in Saiyan made her feel weak in the knees and powerful as hell all at once.

                It was only when she felt that sweet thickness pressing into her folds— as Gohan growled, purred and moaned her name while he held her tightly and lifted her hips—that she shook her head to clear it and eased back, squirming away from his throbbing cock. “No, Gohan, no…”

                “ _G’in_ ,” he growled out, nipping possessively at her shoulder. “ _K’sha **m’yo**_.”

                At a loss for what to do and fighting down a very real wave of panic, Hotaru did the only thing she could and took him in hand as her other went back to his tail. Ugh… they were about to make a huge mess, weren’t they? She mentally sighed a little as she squeezed and stroked him and he purred louder in response, deciding that she could just wash the sheets after or something. Hell, he was really enjoying it and it had been her own fault for taking this a lot further than she’d meant to. “Damned Saiyan pheromones,” she sighed into his neck. “Come for me, Gohan, it’s ok.”

                “Dear gods… _Hotaru_ ,” he moaned loudly just before his lips crashed into hers and his tongue plunged inside to devour her as he came hard, tipping her onto her back while he trembled and thrust desperately against her.

                Surprised at how downright aroused she was by the feeling of his pleasure through the bond and the hot streams spilling onto her skin, the goddess of Death couldn’t even react to stop him when her soon to be mate came down from his climax and immediately looped her legs over his shoulders, lifting her up to his mouth.

                And he didn’t tease, either, he was instantly licking and sucking at the bead inside of her folds, setting her to crying out and tightening her thighs about his face. “G—Gohan…! I—oh my G—“ She couldn’t even finish that sentence as he growled and purred into her core, his tail stretching her slit as he rose onto his knees, leaving her to rest on her hands and shoulders with the remainder of her body lifting up onto him.

                A few more strangled words left her lips, none of them finished, and finally she gave up trying to speak as he started to suck at her hard and the resulting tsunami of ecstasy had her gripping at the sheets and screaming wordlessly with raw pleasure.

                When she opened her eyes she found Gohan’s blurry face looking down at her, and while she couldn’t make out his eyes she could feel the worry in them through the half-bond. “Gohan…?” She whispered drunkenly.

                The man in question sagged in relief and kissed her tenderly. “You fainted, firefly. Sorry… I lost control over my inner beast. How do you feel?”

                “Mmm… _amazing_ ,” she sighed, reaching up to stroke his cheek. “Do it again.”

                Gohan snorted at that before breaking into a full-blown laugh, nuzzling her hair as he simply sent a silent thank you to the gods for giving him such a funny, perfect woman. “You scared the hell out of me,” he confessed with a little grin, reaching for one of the towels from last night so he could clean up the mess he’d made all over her chest and thighs. “But that’s actually what saved you from me taking you,” he added, bending down to kiss her. “When you came I had every intention of finishing the job, but you had fainted by then and I couldn’t rouse you for several minutes.”

                Hotaru sighed at that. “I guess doing that again would be a bad idea then…?”

                “Yeah, probably. Maybe we can figure something out, though.”

                “After we talk to Papa,” she reminded him softly. “Then… _not_ sex, not yet, but… I really liked what we just did, Gohan.”

                “Heh, don’t kid yourself, firefly. You fucking _loved_ every moment of it. Now rest, and I’ll go scrounge us up some supper, ok? Then we’re going to go back to sleep until morning.”

##############################

                Only just barely dozing, Mako snapped awake at the feeling of someone sitting on the bed and shot up straight. “Bardock! I was so worried about you! Where in the hell have you been!?” She shouted. When he wouldn’t answer her she frowned and quieted, slipping out of the bed to come around and face him.

                His eyes were dry, but it was clear that he’d been crying at some point recently. The goddess of nature immediately cupped his face in her hands and sighed when he looked up at her hopelessly, his eyes full of nothing but grief and misery. “Baby, are you ok?” She whispered. A slight shake of his head had her forgetting her anger and embracing him tightly, unconcerned with the fact that her nightgown barely covered anything at all. “Bardock, I was worried as hell,” she murmured into his hair the moment he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Where have you _been_!?” She sniffed and gagged momentarily. “Nevermind that, I can smell where you’ve been. How much have you had to drink?”

                “Two.”

                “My ass, two. You smell like a fucking brewery, Saiyan.”

                “Bars. Two bars,” he clarified in the heavy accent she found so endearing.

                Smirking slightly, Mako tried her best not to laugh and rolled her eyes. “Ok, that sounds more like it. Can you stand without falling on your face?” She asked as she pulled away.

                Bardock merely shrugged and yanked her right back to him, refusing to let her go when she struggled a bit, and that was when Mako noticed that for once he wasn’t purring as he held her. He usually did that to reassure her that he wouldn’t hurt her, to comfort her, but right then he was only holding her and trembling slightly.

                It was him that needed the comforting, she realized. Not her.

                “Shhh, sweetie, it’s alright,” she whispered, instantly relaxing once more and smoothing her hands up and down his back. “Whatever’s got you bothered, you can tell me. You know that, right?”

                No, he couldn’t. Not without biting her, and even in his alcohol-fueled haze, Bardock knew that it would all have to wait until he sobered up. It was the only reason he’d come back—so he could sleep it off and think of a way to either tell her or claim her. “Koto… _m’yo_?” He asked shakily, needing to hear it to assure himself that she really was his, that she wasn’t going to run into the arms of another man. Just the thought of her doing so—going back to the Temple of Venus—had tears welling up in his eyes for the hundredth time in the last two days.

                Mako saw those tears and inwardly panicked a little bit; if she’d learned anything since the Saiyans had landed, it was that they were not the type to cry. Ever. _Fuck_ … that had to be it. Her running to Enril had him ready to utterly lose his shit, and she couldn’t stop herself from feeling like the most horrible person in the universe. And only one thing could fix it…

“ _G’in_ , _ge. T’au_ ,” she responded softly. Hopefully that would get that utterly destroyed look out of his eyes. She smiled in relief at the way he started purring quietly and was proud of the new Saiyan words she’d learned from Rei that morning; hopefully she’d learn a few more with Bardock’s help. “Come on, you need to get out of those filthy clothes and in the shower. Then you need to get some sleep.”

                Thankfully she was also a goddess of strength, because Mako wound up having to take a lot of his weight as she helped him stumble drunkenly into the bathroom. “Need help?” She grunted when he just swayed and leaned against her. Another grunt had her sighing and nodding, and she blushed as sat him down on the edge of the tub and began to undress him, trying her damnedest not to pay any attention to the warm, scarred skin she was exposing with every discarded piece of clothing. “No, no shower,” she said flatly when he tried to stand and step in. “Bath. You’ll wind up falling over, and I don’t feel like lugging you back into the bedroom unconscious.”

                Bardock knew she had a point and let her get him in the tub as it filled, fighting the urge to doze as he was engulfed in warmth and her hands began to gently wash him.

                A bit less embarrassed now that his eyes were closed and he couldn’t see her own greedily roaming over his bare body, Makoto’s blush faded as she took in the sight. Hot damn, he was sexy, and just looking at him had her heart racing and her body aching for him. Oh wow, she needed to hurry up, finish this bath, get him in bed… and then she was running off with that burning ball for an hour. Maybe two.

                “Come on, baby,” she cooed softly, bending down to kiss him and wake him. “Unless you want a woman half your size scooping you up like an infant and tucking you in. And believe me, I _can_ do it. I’m not the Senshi of strength for nothing.”

                Bardock attempted to climb out of the tub, but when he couldn’t even summon his ki to dry himself and then slipped, he sighed and shook his head. “Just let me sleep in here,” he mumbled in Saiyan.

                Mako caught him easily when he slipped again and held him tightly against her. “Come on, you big baby. Arms around my neck. You’re not heavy as far as I’m concerned, but you’re awfully _big_.” _Everywhere_ , she added silently as he did as she instructed and she got around his back with one arm and under his knees with the other. She laughed as she hauled him up against her. “Oh dear gods, your feet are still dragging the fucking floor,” she snickered. “I’m the tallest of the Inners and you still make me feel like a dwarf.”

                Still chuckling, she noted the blush to his cheeks and knew it wasn’t just from the alcohol. “Oh, what a lovely virginal blush, my darling bride,” she teased mercilessly. “Shall I carry you over the threshold now and to our marital bed?”

                Bardock just rolled his eyes at that and snorted as he thought of just how he’d carry her, thrown over his shoulder and kicking and screaming at him furiously. That put a little smirk on his face and he wished he wasn’t so damned plastered that he couldn’t stand; if he could, he’d be showing his Koto a thing or two about virginal blushes and marital consummations.

                Mako winced as her left shoulder clenched up in a strange ache that radiated to her groin and she nearly moaned in reaction to it. “Holy… what the…” She bit down on her lower lip so hard as the sensation strengthened that she actually broke the skin and tasted blood. That was when she realized that Bardock’s hand was resting on her shoulder and she blinked in surprise; she knew that was a reaction to the mating mark, but… she _wasn’t_ marked, so why in the hell did that feel so fucking _good_!?

                She carefully set him on the bed then and gently toweled him off after finding one in her subspace, followed by a quick drying of her own skin. “Let me get out of this wet nightgown and into something else and I’ll—“ She was snagged by his tail before she could finish and jerked right into his arms, where his onyx gaze was glassy from exhaustion more than alcohol. “Bardock,” she ground out, “I’m wet, damn it, and I’m not sleeping in this sopping nightgown. Now let me go.”

                “You’re right,” he rumbled in Saiyan, “you’re not.” With that, he simply ripped it off of her and tossed it to the side. “Much better,” he purred happily, holding her fast and tight, relishing her bare skin pressed to his own. “And relax, Koto… I’m not much to speak of in bed when I’m drunk. I’m definitely not going to take you.”

                Even though she couldn’t understand him, something about that second to last sentence gave her a huge wave of déjà vu and she shivered in response. “Bardock…? Did you leave because you were mad at me?” She asked softly. “I even checked on Enril to make sure you hadn’t gone out to…” She shook her head and sighed when he growled at the sound of the other man’s name. “I know you said we wouldn’t discuss it, but I’ve been thinking about you and… I’m sorry,” she whispered, laying her head on his chest as she blocked out the fact that she was nearly as naked as he was. “I’m yours… _r’sha_.”

                Bardock’s chest immediately rumbled in a stuttering, drunken purr at the sound of that word and he wished to every god that he was sober enough to seduce the hell out of her right then. “Koto…”

                He said something else, and while Makoto was sure it was in Solarian, his accent was so heavy in his inebriated state that she didn’t understand it at all. “Honey… I don’t understand. Slow it down a bit.”

                “Vun night,” he said slowly, seeing the instant recognition in her eyes as she felt another wave of déjà vu. “Giff me… vun night, Mah-Koto.”

                The goddess of thunder trembled as a memory tickled the edge of her mind, but the more she tried to grasp at it, the harder it became to reach it. “Yes,” she breathed out, unable to stop herself from agreeing to fulfill the request. It felt like she’d already agreed to it in the past… somewhere, somehow. “One night… tomorrow?”

                “Jesh,” he groaned softly, cupping her face in his hands as he drew her lips down to his. The kiss was a little sloppy and he gave her an apologetic look for it, but she only giggled in reply and kissed his forehead.

                “Go to sleep, Saiyan,” she mumbled affectionately as she rolled off of him and readjusted her body so that she was snuggled against him, breathing in the mixture of his scent and the faint smell of rum and whiskey… and vodka and tequila. Damn, he really had drank the bar dry.

                “Koto?” He slurred into her hair.

                “Hm?” She was already dozing off and forgetting about her idea to find that burning ball; she hadn’t slept well at all that evening or the night before. She knew she was falling for him with the way she seemed to crave his very scent surrounding her as she slept.

                He rumbled something in Saiyan that she didn’t understand as he tried to form the words he wanted—words that Turles had taught him—but couldn’t get his Saiyan accent around even the first letter. “I hate your native language,” he ground out in his own tongue. “There’s too many damned letters that we don’t even have.”

                “I dun understand you, baby,” she murmured into his chest.

                “Ruh— _tah’kha_ ,” he snorted in Saiyan. “It’s so much easier to say in Saiyan, even if we never say it.” Focusing through the alcohol as best as he could, he placed his tongue on the back of his teeth. “Luff.” He felt her stiffen and sighed in relief, knowing she’d understood. “Joo,” he added with a kiss to her hair and a gentle caress down her spine.

                “You’re drunk, _ge_. Very, very, very drunk. And if you even remember any of this in the morning, I’ll be stunned as fuck, so… fuck it.” She leaned up and kissed him softly, her mouth lingering on his for a long while as she cupped his face in her hands. “I’m falling in love with you, Bardock. I don’t know how or why, but I am.”

                “ _M’yo_ ,” he sighed happily, running his fingers through the unbound hair spilling down her back.

                “Yeah, it seems that way, whether I like it or not. One night,” she added firmly. “Then… I don’t know what. We’ll see, I guess. Now go the fuck to sleep,” she ordered with a tiny smile. “I’m exhausted.”

######################################

                Before drifting off to sleep, Ami had expected to wake up to snuggling, maybe some kissing and very light petting.

                What she didn’t expect was to wake to the sensation of a tail stroking slowly over her curls and a pair of lips suckling gently at a pink, erect nipple, sending swirls of pleasure straight to her core. “Nappa…”

                The mix of fear with the heavy desire in her voice made him release her breast and look up her, his black eyes smoky with need and love. That look alone confirmed for Ami that he was absolutely smitten with her, whether or not he was a giant, widely feared Saiyan general. With her, he was simply a man that was more like an eager-to-please puppy. “You alright, Blue? I thought you wanted more.”

                “Huh?”

                Nappa’s eyes narrowed at the confusion on her face and he leaned up to kiss her softly. “Blue, were you asleep that entire time?”

                “What do you mean, ‘that entire time’?”

                “I came in and laid down beside you and you started kissing and touching,” he explained, his lips twitching up in a smirk the moment she turned bright red. “And then you told me not to stop, so…” He tipped his chin towards the gown he’d drawn over her head and tossed to the side… along with his own fatigues.

Oh, shit. They were both totally naked.

 “I didn’t know how naughty you could be, Ami… you weren’t wearing any panties,” he added with a chuckle, grinning at the beet red hue of her face.

                Eyes as big as saucers, she recalled being so tired after her bath that she just threw her gown over her head without a thought and had fallen into bed. “Dear gods, I’ve heard of people having sleep sex,” she whimpered. “Nappa, _please_ accept my sincerest apology, if I’d been awake I wouldn’t have done more than kiss you, I swear it.”

                “That sounds like more of an insult than an apology,” he snickered. “But I’ll make you a deal. You’re still awfully aroused, Blue… so if you let me make you come, I’ll forgive you for being so fucking sexy that it’s **_killing_** me.”

                Ami shivered as his lips descended to ghost over her throat, then her shoulder, and found herself nodding slowly despite her utter humiliation over him seeing her naked and so vulnerable. “But Nappa… what about you?”

                “I want you for sure, but I handled my urges quite a few times last night,” he replied evenly. “You don’t have to worry about me, _r’sha,_ I just want to give you pleasure… I want to show you that you can trust me not to hurt you. _Will_ you trust me, Blue?” He whispered as he brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

                She licked her lips before nodding once more. She couldn’t deny the ache between her thighs and she knew she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man in her entire life. Especially after the episode in the bathtub… and something told her that the real him would be exponentially better than the water had. That and she knew she was in love with him, even if she couldn’t admit it to him. So maybe it was time to trust, to extend just that much to him when it obvious that he was clearly in love with her as well.

“I trust you, Nappa,” she whispered as she pulled him down to her and kissed him as she wrapped a shapely thigh around his waist.

Her mate’s eyes literally rolled back to the whites in sweet ecstasy as he heard her moan into the kiss when he deepened it, her hips rocking upwards the moment his fingers sought out her heat. And then he suddenly felt her tongue probing his lips and froze in reaction to it. “The hell kind of whore’s trick is that, woman?”

Blinking at an overwhelming rush of déjà vu, Ami just stared at him. “Why do I get the feeling that you’ve said that before?”

“I… I don’t know,” he whispered as he resumed the slow, gentle motions of his fingers, wiping her mind of anything but the pleasure humming through her body.

“Open your mouth,” she commanded softly just before kissing him again, unable to remember even why she’d stopped him. The moment their tongues touched she moaned and arched into him again, her hand sliding down his chest of its own volition, and she heard him let out a strangled noise of surprise and ecstasy when she brushed her fingers over the head of his cock.

“Ami,” he groaned, his hips moving involuntarily as he felt her grasp him lightly and squeeze. Dear gods, he’d pleasured himself countless times the night before and should have been able to hold out for hours, but just feeling her arching into him, moaning his name and the sensation of that small soft hand had him ready to explode. “Gonna come,” he warned her.

“Good,” she whispered between kisses, now fully stroking her tongue over his whenever he parted his lips for her. “Me too…” No sooner had the words left her mouth, Ami trembled and stiffened, her hand locking around his arousal and tugging upwards as she cried out and clutched at his hip with her free hand. “Oh gods… _Nappa_ …!”

That was his undoing, and the general nearly passed out from the pleasure as her fingers milked him slowly, spilling hot seed all over her thighs. “Wish that was inside of you, Blue,” he whispered hotly before kissing her forcefully, taking a page from her book as he swept his tongue into her mouth and explored it.

She nearly submitted to the large finger probing her entrance, but Ami had come down from her high just enough to stop him. “No, Nappa… we—I—I don’t think I’ll be able to ask you to stop if you do that…”

“You want me to stop? You sure…? It’ll feel amazing, Blue,” he purred in her throat. “And I won’t take you if you don’t want me to, you know that. At least until I resume the chase after breakfast.”

“No, I know that but… if you do… I’ll want more,” she admitted shyly. “I know I’ll want it all and… I’m not ready for that in my right mind.”

With a mournful sigh, Nappa withdrew his hand from her mound and nipped gently at her shoulder, noting the shiver of pleasure it gave her. “As my goddess commands,” he whispered before kissing her once. They just looked at each other for a long minute, both of them caressing each other and sighing happily from the afterglow, until Nappa felt the sticky mess he’d left all over her. “Heh… sorry about that, Blue.”

“It’s alright,” she replied bashfully, turning a bright shade of crimson as he began to towel her off. “I’m a doctor, after all… I know that’s what happens.” She just hadn’t known until last night how good it would feel to be held like that as he pleasured her… Ami definitely owed Michiru a thank you note for the whole bathtub thing.

“Hungry? I could order breakfast on my scouter and have it brought up.”

Touched by the look of utter adoration and dedication to her in his eyes, Ami nodded and let him do just that, covering up in the meantime. The last thing she needed was a priestess coming in and finding her naked with a randy Saiyan general.

################################

                “Heh… I know that look anywhere, Ami-chan. Someone’s in luuuurve,” Mina teased, slinging a companionable arm around her sister’s shoulders as she led her further into the temple. “So, what brings you? Ready to learn about the birds and the bees?”

                Already crimson, Ami shook her head. “No… um… I… I’d like some pointers, is all.” Once inside Mina’s quarters, she lost some of her shyness since they were alone. “Scientifically, I know all there is to know about sex; reproduction, hormones, all of it. But other than that, I don’t know what to expect or do and… I find my own inexperience a little frustrating.”

                “Well, you came to the right place, sister,” Mina said gently, giving her a kiss on her cheek. “I’ve actually been wanting to see you, but Turles is getting a little strange about letting me leave and won’t say why.”

                “Oh… why did you want to see me?” Ami asked in confusion.

                “Two reasons, actually. First, Bardock has created something balled a ‘burning ball’ for virgins on Vegeta-sai to use during the burning so that they’re not forced into early mating. I wanted to see if you could replicate it. It’s a fairly complicated device and well… it’s _amazing_ from everything Mako’s told me. I want one,” she giggled. “But more importantly—“ Her hand slipped into her subspace and she handed over a small vial of clear liquid. “This is for you.”

                “But… isn’t this…?”

                “Yup. It’s not every day a goddess loses her cherry, and even though it’s not a virginity rite in my temple, the priestesses **_all_** agreed that someone dealing with Nappa’s size should definitely be prepared. The fact that you’re a virgin sealed the deal; **_none_** of the girls would have been willing to lose their innocence to that behemoth,” she giggled.

                With anyone else she would have denied that she was going to go through with it, but since Minako was the goddess of love and she’d come for advice, she simply hugged her sister. “Thank you, Mina-chan. I’ll admit the expected pain was a big reason for not asking him to my bed.”

                “Girl, if I were in your shoes I’d think long and hard about fucking him, and that’s bad when it’s _me_ ,” Mina agreed seriously. “So, do you love him?” She continued gently.

                “Yes,” Ami sighed, “I do. And he hasn’t said it, but I know that he does, too. Thank you for this,” she added, studying the vial in her hand for a long moment before slipping it into her subspace. “It makes this much easier on me, giving in to the inevitable.”


	10. Chapter 10

Mako was a little disappointed to wake alone, and insanely surprised that she hadn’t woken to a seduction of sorts. Then again, Bardock was likely nursing a hangover of legend and probably didn’t even remember what had happened the night before. “Thank the gods for that,” she sighed, unexplainably upset that he wouldn’t remember their deal for one night. “It’s for the best that he doesn’t though, I’m sure.”

                But when she rolled over, she found a vase full of fresh roses on the nightstand and blushed when she read the note resting at the base of the glass.

                _Tonight._

Licking her lips, Mako shakily set it back in place, noting in the back of her head that that single word was in Michiru’s handwriting. “Guess he got a healer to get rid of the hangover,” she mumbled as she fished around in a drawer for something to wear. She considered and discarded several articles of clothing before huffing loudly at herself in frustration. “You are not nervous, damn it. It’s just sex… ok, fine,” she amended, “it’s sex with the hottest fucking man you’ve ever laid eyes on. The man you’ve been fantasizing about since you first saw him.”

                The goddess of thunder regarded the clothes in her drawer with a sigh. “I need to beat someone’s ass. Yeah, that’s it. A royal ass-kicking on a Jovian level will balance everything out.”

                The temple was packed when she left her living quarters, and she didn’t have a problem finding a sparring partner who was looking for a challenge. In fact, there were more than a few Saiyans in there lining up for a shot at Bardock and waiting patiently for him to return. _Good luck with that,_ she thought silently, _he probably won’t even show until sundown and then he’ll be dragging me to the bed caveman style._

She winced as she took a punch just then, and her partner looked surprised to have scored a hit. “You’re fine,” she said quickly, “I shouldn’t let myself be distracted during a spar.”

                “Yes, goddess,” came a quick reply as they began to exchange shots once more.

                Mako worked herself into a winded sweaty mess in an attempt to not think about the sexiest man she’d ever met, but her efforts were thwarted when she felt something strong and silky snag her around the waist and drag her up into a pair of muscular waiting arms.

                “ _K’sha’or_ ,” Bardock’s voice rasped in her ear.

                The hair on her neck stood on end as she trembled a little and her newest sparring partner—a Saiyan—grinned at her. “You… you said one _night_ ,” she stammered. “Sundown’s still five hours away…”

                She heard Bardock reply but only understood a single word; her partner, however, was more than happy to translate. “The commander would like to inform you that it _is_ nighttime… on Vegeta-sai,” he chuckled.

                With a loud little high-pitched, very-feminine-and-unlike-Makoto-scream, she began to beat on his upper back the moment he yanked her up over his shoulder and strode off with her as if she was a spoil of war. “Bardock, this isn’t funny!” She yelled.

                Bardock only kept moving, silent through her protests, and when he entered her chambers and locked the door behind him, he switched his grip and lowered her to stand in front of him. “ _D’ha_ ,” he breathed against her lips before claiming them.

                All sweaty and a little smelly from her all day sparring session, Mako tried to explain between kisses that she wanted to shower—but Bardock was having none of that, pressing her to the wall behind her, peeling her clothes from her one at a time until he got to the boy shorts concealing her sex and he simply ripped those off and tossed them over his shoulder. “ _M’yo_?”

                Trembling at the feeling of him pressing to her and weak from the way his hands were caressing and arousing every inch of exposed flesh, Mako could only moan and nod and rock her hips into his. She was finally going to have him, this man that incensed her so; she was finally about to know what it would feel like to have him inside of her, taking her, making her come, his voice whispering in her ear as he slaked his lust. “ _T’au_ ,” she eventually responded once she could think past the burning need growing between them. “ _T’uh au_ , Bardock… **_buh’tir_** …”

                He growled as he pushed forward slowly, making sure to let her feel every inch of him as he gradually filled her. “ _G’in… Koto m’yo. K’sha m’yo_.”

                Mako lost all ability to talk or even think as he suddenly moved and drove back into her forcefully, a soft cry from her lips expressing her pleasure as he did it once more and nipped at her shoulder. But then she could think, and she realized it was because he’d stopped. “Bardock?” She whined, clutching at his hips as she rocked against him. “Please don’t stop… I need you to move, honey.”

                Reining in his beast, Bardock grunted and shook his head slightly, dipping forward to claim her lips as gently as he could, his body slowly matching the motions of their mouths. They were against the wall and not in the bed, yes—but he wanted their first time in this timeline to be slow, gentle… he wanted to draw out Makoto’s pleasure until she was melting from the heat of their lovemaking, until she was breathing the word ‘love’ in his ear as she’d done on Vegeta-sai. “ _M’eh_ _tah’kha’or au_ ,” he whispered tenderly, praying she’d understand the meaning of such a rarely said phrase among his people.

                The stunned expression mixed in with the haze of desire and love in her eyes made him purr with delight. She’d understood. “ _M’eh_ _k’sha t’au_ ,” she responded as he moved a little deeper, just before she lost her ability to think again and she moaned softly in reaction to the beginnings of an intense orgasm.

                He felt so good, so right, and even with his clothes still on, Bardock put Enril to shame as he loved her slowly and as gently as was possible for a Saiyan warrior, keeping a tight grip on his beast’s leash as she came for him until she was shaking. Only then did he lift her close to him and take her to the bed, his purr growing louder as he tipped her back onto it and resumed the lazy flexing of his hips, tossing his tank top to the side and groaning at the feel of her hands caressing his newly bared flesh. The commander lost what little Solarian he had as she whimpered his name again and her hips kept time with his, her hands dragging him back down so he was flush against her. “Koto… Koto, I’m going to come,” he whispered heatedly in Saiyan as he broke away from her mouth and drug his teeth over to her shoulder. “Want to bite you so badly, _r’sha_ … want to make you mine…”

                Mako couldn’t even process a protest as his teeth sent little curls of pleasure to her toes, and automatically offered up her shoulder as she cried out softly and came again. “Bardock… _r’sha_ … you feel so good, honey…” That was when she felt him coming hard inside of her and the hot, wet sensation sent her right up and into another climax, her mouth crushing into his brutally despite the way he was still moving gently inside of her.

                Neither of them could even move for what seemed like years, both of them gasping for air and trembling in the aftermath, simply kissing and holding each other tightly. “That was amazing,” Mako breathed after a long time. “Better than I ever imagined, Bardock,” she added with a gentle caress to the base of his tail.

                “More?” He purred as he pulled her tight against him and lifted her, aiming his feet towards the bathroom.

                “Shower first,” the goddess giggled. “I smell, damn it. And you’re not much better, sexy man.”

                “You smell amazing,” Bardock purred in her ear even though she couldn’t understand him. “You smell like a thunderstorm… and _me_.” He set her down in the shower then and cut it on, drew the curtain, and immediately began to soap her up, undoing her hair to let it cascade down her back as soon as he could. He smelled her arousal the moment it was his turn and she began to slide her soapy hands along his ruddy skin, her fingertips pausing on occasion to caress a scar, her eyes hardly leaving his and they shone brightly with desire and love for him. “ _D’ha tapa’or v’nu au_ ,” he whispered as her hands wandered south and found him hard and thick and completely ready for her.

                “Again?” Mako snorted. “Honey, what we just did in there was _not_ fucking.”

                Heh, he’d momentarily forgotten her command of countless Saiyan vulgarities. “ _G’re… buh’mor tapa’or au d’ha_?”

                _Fine, may I fuck you now?_

Mako busted out laughing at that, she hadn’t completely understood the words, but she’d gotten the gist of it and gave him a sultry little smile once her giggles had died down. “Let’s rinse your hair first, Saiyan. Then maybe I’ll oblige you with some shower fucking.”

                Bardock dutifully bent down to let her get the shampoo out of his hair and once it was clean he gave her a smile that was loaded with many, many emotions. This would be it. He would bite her this time and she would remember him as the mating bond fixed the aching void he felt in his soul now that he remembered her but they were no longer bound. “ _D’ha, Koto m’yo_?”

                “Yeah,” she breathed, her voice growing husky as she drew in his tail pheromones, the scent intensified by the enclosed space and the water cleansing the air. Mako moaned the moment he turned her and slammed her into the wall, and she immediately wrapped her long legs about his waist and gave him a slow, desperate grind of her hips. Then she felt his tail teasing her clit and her body gave an involuntary jerk. “Please don’t tease me, honey… I want you now,” she breathed as she nipped her way across his jaw to his throat.

                “And you’ll have me, Koto,” he replied softly, his tone infinitely more gentle than the rough thrust he gave as he entered her. “All of me.”

                Understanding the manner of his voice but not the words, the goddess of thunder could only moan as he withdrew and surged into her again, setting up a steady rhythm. He wasn’t taking her fast, but he was certainly fucking her with the virility of a Saiyan warrior, and every cell in her body was humming with pleasure as he made her come and scream his name.

                Bardock claimed her like that for a good long while, taking her to heaven no less than a dozen times before he suddenly stopped and rested just at her entrance. “ _Koto m’yo_?” He whispered.

                “Hai,” she purred in Japanese, still reeling from the aftershocks of her last climax.

                “ _K’sha m’yo… m’eh t’uh tor’sha_.”

                That brought her out of it a little, and his very last word had her feeling a wave of déjà vu. He’d said that to her before, but… somewhere else. And she’d fought him tooth and nail. “ _Tor’sha_?” She repeated, followed by a low moan of desire when he replied with a slow, sensual bite to her shoulder, just hard enough to bruise the skin.

                Bardock looked back up at her as he pressed back into her body, giving her only the head of his cock. “ _K’sha’or_. _Tor’sha_.” When she only stared at him with those wide, confused green eyes, he leaned in and kissed her gently. “No fuck,” he breathed. “Ruhv joo. Vunt mate.”

                The intensity and longing in his eyes brought a foreign memory to her mind, one of them tenderly making love in a bed she’d never seen, their bodies tangling together as she moaned and he clamped down on her already-marked shoulder. It was accompanied with an aching in her chest and her shoulder, and Mako felt tears welling up in her eyes even though she didn’t know why. “Bardock…?”

                “ _K’sha m’yo_ ,” he whispered, nipping at her lower lip as he pushed forward, gradually lowering her onto him once more, trembling as he heard her moan and she clutched at him tightly. She was remembering, he could see it in her eyes, and as he withdrew and thrust into her gently, he saw another wave of recognition in those glazed emeralds, along with a hint of love. “Jesh?”

                “ _G’in_ ,” she whispered in Saiyan, unable to break eye contact as he moved once more, then again, sending a long, steady wave of pleasure through both their bodies, setting her to shaking as he began a gentle rhythm and she felt herself already headed towards an orgasm. “ _T’au_ ,” she whimpered. “ _K’sha_ _t’au_ , Bardock… I’m yours…”

                He moved a little harder then, finally breaking eye contact to bend his head and rake his teeth over her shoulder. “ _Tor’sha_?” He asked again.

                Unable to speak anything but his name as she moaned and began to keep time with his slow thrusting, Makoto simply nodded and dug her nails into his back as she began to tighten around him. “ _Bardock_ …” Gods, their first time had been so intense and gentle at the same time, but this was a whole different level of lovemaking  and she was about burn up from the inside out as he dialed his movements back a notch to keep her just on the edge of ecstasy. “Please, Bardock! Please don’t tease me like that!”

A nip to her shoulder set her to moaning again, and the goddess of Jupiter buried her fingers in his hair and offered up the lightly tanned flesh that he was nuzzling and nibbling as he continued to keep her just out of reach of her pleasure.

                The silent offering undid him, and Bardock groaned and thrust into her roughly as he buried his teeth in her shoulder, purring and growling with need as he tasted her blood and felt her thoughts flooding his mind. “ ** _M’yo_** ,” he snarled, gripping her hips as he gave her what she wanted, sending her careening over the edge, crying his name as she took him with her into paradise.

                Sinking to his knees in the aftermath, the water beating down on his head, Bardock wasn’t surprised to feel her shaking against him, sobbing quietly into his shoulder.

She _remembered_.

“I don’t remember saying it before the timeshift, Koto… but I _do_ love you,” he whispered, his voice barely heard over the sound of the running shower.

“I’m horrible!” She choked out, shaking her head furiously against his chest. “I should have never—“

“I don’t ever want to talk about it, Koto.” His words were firm, but they were gentle, and he tipped her face up to look into her eyes. “You didn’t know and I forgive you for it. You can feel it through the bond, yes?” Her little nod made him try for a smile and he kissed her softly. “Then let it be, _r’sha_. You’re mine again and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m sorry, Bardock!” She cried, throwing her arms around his neck and clinging to him tightly. His gentle assurances that she was forgiven and that he didn’t care about it anymore only made her cry harder. “I don’t deserve you,” she finally breathed as he cut off the water and lifted her into his arms.

Sighing heavily, wishing that she’d just let it go and be happy, Bardock tried for levity. “Hey… I didn’t pump and dump this time.” He winked at her when she looked up in surprise, then grinned down when she cracked a tiny smile. “Hey come on, I want to hear about how _impressed_ you are that I managed not to come the moment I finally had you again.”

“That never bothered me. What would impress me right now is seeing you get it up a third time so that you can make love to me again,” she answered with a smile. It turned into a grin when he laid her down in the bed and they both looked down to find him flaccid and a tiny growl of frustration escaped his lips. “I think I can help with that, love,” she chuckled, slipping a knife from her subspace, dragging it lightly over one of his thighs as he stood over her.

Bardock felt his inner Saiyan responding to the joking threat of it being pressed only briefly to his groin and let it take over, snatching up her hands and pinning them smoothly over her head with one while he took her knife and broke it with the other. “One day I’m going to have to find out if I’m some sort of deviant pervert or if that’s normal for other males,” he chuckled as he pressed his newly hardened cock into her folds.

“Oh, we’re both definitely perverted deviants, Saiyan. Now get down here so I can bite you back.”

#################################

                Rubbing at her eyes, Serenity groggily made her way to her room in the dark hallway, only to run into something solid, and if it hadn’t been for a pair of muscular arms and the silky tail winding around her immediately, she would have hit her ass on the carpet.

                “You alright?” Vegeta’s rough voice asked her in the dark.

                “Mmhmm, fine. Sorry, just had to deal with some stuff,” she replied sleepily, trying her best to ignore the warmth of his bare chest seeping through the silk of her nightgown. “Geta?” She whispered after a full minute when he still hadn’t relinquished his hold on her.

                “I want you, Sere,” he replied in a soft growl as he backed her up against the wall, lifting her in one smooth motion before she could even protest. “Need you,” he groaned into her throat as he drew in her scent. “Right now.”

                _Oh my dear sweet fucking gods, I’ve **had** this dream, _ she thought with a shiver of anticipation. “Geta?” Serenity practically rolled her eyes at the sound of her own voice; she’d meant for it to sound strong and sure, but it had only sounded desperate and needy.

                “Don’t worry,” he breathed in her ear, giving her a slow grind of his hips as the hand not holding her up slid over a firm, perky breast. “I’ll definitely take care of you first, Sere.”

                “It’s just the full moon, Geta.” The words came out as a moan as she felt his mouth trailing slow, open-mouthed kisses down her throat, and the queen couldn’t help but whimper as he shifted her and ground against her again, his cock massaging her years-neglected clit through the silk of the gown. She was finding the will to protest when he emitted a throaty purr and she scented his pheromones perfuming the air, but her real undoing was the feeling of his lips ghosting over a spot on her throat that had her eyes rolling back in her head. “ _Geta_ …”

                The crown prince took that soft moaning of his name as permission and he slid the hem of her gown up to expose her, growling in approval when he discovered her lack of any other clothing. He was pressing against her entrance within moments, nipping and licking at that spot as her soft whimpers of pleasure filled his ears.

                Serenity trembled the moment she felt the thick, hot head of his cock penetrate her and instantly bunched her hand in his hair to force his mouth to hers as she used her legs to pull him closer and force him inside of her to the hilt. “Don’t stop,” she ordered breathlessly, sensing his surprise through her empathy as she began to use her strong thighs to ride him. “I want this, Geta. I want _you_.”

                “Sere…”

                “ _Vegeta_ …”

                “ ** _Sere_**!”

                She stopped then and opened her eyes to find Vegeta staring down at her in the dark, his eyes stormy with worry. “Geta? What’s—“ _Oh… I was dreaming again…_ With a blush that she hoped he couldn’t see in the poor lighting, the queen let him help her sit up. “What’s wrong?”

                “You’re needed at the Temple of Uranus. Right _now_ ,” he grunted as he scooped her out of the bed and began to move quickly, not having time to allow his queen to wake up. “There’s a Mexican standoff in the temple and shit is going to hit the fucking fan if we don’t hurry,” he explained.

                “Oh!?” Serenity immediately teleported them there and gawked for a full second at the large ki blast in Gohan’s hand, the glowing space sword in Haruka’s, and the unconscious goddess of Death cradled in the young Super Saiyan’s free arm. “The **_hell_** is going on!?” She shouted, instantly in queen-mode despite her thin nightgown and her unbound golden hair, wiggling her way out of Vegeta’s arms and onto her own feet.

                Michiru, who was standing between the two enraged warriors, spoke up. “Hotaru tried to stop the fight and jumped between them just as Ruka fired, and Gohan won’t let anyone close to check her.”

                The queen whirled around then and fearlessly approached the growling, blonde male, kneeling in front of him as she ignored Vegeta’s outraged protest. “Gohan, your mate is _hurt_ , sweetheart. I can heal her if you let me touch her.” His snarl and a burn from his ki to her arm made her stop from reaching forward as she winced in pain. “Gohan… do you want your mate to die? I don’t know how hard she got hit, and if you don’t let me help her…”

                “You’re not taking her,” he snapped.

                “No, I’m not, Gohan. I just need to touch her, that’s all. Just a touch, ok? And then you can take her back to the Temple of Saturn. No one will stop you, I swear it on my crown.”

                “Boy, you’re being a shitty mate by not letting the queen heal her,” Vegeta rumbled from several feet away.

                Gohan blinked at that and shifted Hotaru slightly, but his eyes never once left Serenity, nor did the ki blast in his hand vanish. “Heal her. Then back away slowly,” he growled, his tail thrashing behind him wildly in his anger.

                “Alright,” Serenity said gently, kneeling and sliding forward to touch Hotaru’s hand, ignoring Vegeta’s posturing behind her as he growled in warning at Gohan. “I’m going to glow, now, so don’t freak out, sweetheart.” Closing her eyes, she summoned her powers and healed Hotaru of the concussion she’d suffered as a result of a World Shaking, then did as the brunette’s mate had asked, backing away slowly and carefully. “She needs to rest in bed for the next twenty-four hours, Gohan,” Serenity instructed softly. “That hit really knocked her for a loop.”

                “Take her home boy,” Vegeta ordered gruffly, yanking Serenity into his arms with his tail the moment she was within reach. “Call the queen when she’s awake.”

                Scooping Hotaru up and carefully cradling her against him, Gohan nodded once before exiting with Saiyan speed, and the queen immediately turned on Haruka as soon as he was gone. “Not a word!” She snapped. “I am so not dealing with you right now, Haruka… because if I do, I’ll likely regret the results of it. So I am going to bed, and you and I will have a little discussion in a few days. Understood?”

                “Hai, Ouhi,” Uranus answered promptly, kneeling before her furious queen.

                “And what of Hota?” Michiru asked softly.

                “Whether or not she is to be mated by Gohan is entirely up to _her_ , not you two. Like my daughter, she is a grown woman and is old enough to make her own decisions… _and_ mistakes. Both of you will refrain from swaying her decision to wed, and if you can’t keep an opinion to yourself, then stay away from her.”

                “Yes, Serenity,” Michiru whispered, wrapping a hand around Haruka’s arm to tug her up and lead her towards their quarters.

                Vegeta jumped a bit in surprise when his mate immediately began to shake once they were alone, and quickly scooped her up bridal style, a little alarmed by the tears leaving her eyes. “Come on, _r’sha_. Let’s get you in bed. Gohan scared the hell out of you, didn’t he?”

                “No,” she breathed, “ ** _I_** scared the hell out of me… I very nearly went Cosmos when I saw little Hota knocked out. I would have vaporized my sisters in my anger.”

                “Teleport us back, goddess,” Vegeta rumbled in her ear, having every intention of erasing her tears with a little distraction.

                Doing as he asked without a second thought, Serenity closed her eyes as she tried to get her crying under control and felt him ease her back into her bed before he snuggled in tightly against her. His scent soothed her, and it wasn’t until she felt his lips ghosting over her shoulder that she noticed he’d stripped before slipping under the covers. “Geta… I’m… I’m not ready to talk about the book just yet…”

                “We’ll talk about it another time,” he rasped as he rolled on top of her and began to push her nightgown over her hips. “Tonight I’m just going to make you forget about your idiot older sister.” He sensed her hesitation and stopped, though. “You know, goddess…” He nipped at her neck as his hands traced the outsides of her thighs. “…I smelled your arousal and you were moaning my name when I came in to wake you up… was I good at least?”

                Before she could stop herself, Serenity snorted and rolled her eyes. “You woke me before I got to the good part, asshole.”

                “Asshole? Heh… you must have been just dripping wet with anticipation, Sere.” Smirking at her little gasp of surprise and pleasure as he pressed his fingers into her heat, Vegeta nipped at her shoulder as he found her—as he’d thought—still very, very wet from earlier. “Wow, Sere… now I feel a little bad about waking you before you’d had your way with me. I could lie still on my back if you wish?”

                Eyes wide and face bright red, Serenity did the only thing she could think of and squirmed out from under him, yanking her hemline back down to her lower thighs. “Gods, you’re such a pervert!” She squeaked out in embarrassment. Her eyes only got wider as she watched him slowly, gradually raise his fingers to his lips and his tongue flickered out briefly to taste the moisture clinging to them, the sight of it bringing a tiny whimper from her throat as she imagined that tongue between her legs. The goddess of the moon could only watch as his eyes locked on her face while he slowly, sensually stroked his tongue up and down both digits, his purr growing louder and more seductive with every taste of her desire. “Geta…?”

                Vegeta had no words for her, since words typically only got him yelled at, and he rolled right back on top of her and shoved her gown back up to her waist before diving under the covers and between her thighs, his hands gripping her hips tightly as his mouth devoured a full helping of the sample he’d just had. She tasted just as he remembered, sweet and light and wonderful, and Vegeta was purring and growling and rock hard as her voice rose up loudly, ringing in his ears as she came.

                He didn’t stop there, wanting nothing more than her utter satisfaction with him as he thrust his tail deep inside of her, his lips pursing over her clit to suck, his purr rattling so hard that it was vibrating her core. Only when she was whimpering and begging for him to stop after her third climax did he slide back up to claim her lips, his tongue dueling passionately with hers as he let her taste her own pleasure. “Good as the dream?” He asked hoarsely as he attempted to ignore the dull ache in his cock.

Unless she offered it, there would be no relief for him. Not tonight, anyway. This was about her. About making her feel better and focus on something other than the events in the Temple of Uranus, about trying to make up for his mistakes during the first timeline.

“Oh my fucking gods, _yes_ ,” Serenity moaned, still shaking and light-headed from the amazingly skilled tongue-lashing. It had been the first pleasure she’d felt in over a hundred years, and something raw and primal had woken within her… and she was a little surprised to discover that she wanted _more_. More of _him_ , to be specific. Sliding her hand between them, Serenity colored slightly as she looked askance up at him, giving him one timid stroke.

“Only if you want it, Sere,” Vegeta whispered, his voice trembling with the strain of leashing his beast. It was roaring at him to claim her, to bite her and fuck her, but he downright refused to make the same mistake twice.

“I wanted to return the favor. I don’t think I’m ready for more than that, Vegeta. Is that… ok?”

Surprised by how suddenly shy she was, Vegeta rolled onto his side and pressed her hand firmly to his cock. “Woman, you can do whatever you want to me,” he assured her. “I’m definitely not complaining. But only if you want to.”

Not one to just leave him hanging after he’d given her three of the best orgasms of her life, Serenity leaned in and kissed him, letting him take the reins as he dominated her mouth. She was totally in control of what was happening beneath the covers, though, and her hand was slow but firm as she squeezed his length and massaged the head with her thumb, spreading a few drops of his essence across it.

She was about to ask if she was doing it the way he liked it when he suddenly erupted into her hand with a loud groan and a hitch in his purr, his hips bucking forward as his seed spilled all over her nightgown. “Sorry if… if it wasn’t as good as you’d hoped,” Serenity whispered when he pulled away a little to just gaze at her, an indecipherable expression on his face. “I’m… a bit out of practice.”

“It was amazing, _r’sha_ ,” Vegeta breathed against her lips, giving her one slow, tender, love-filled kiss before sitting her up and yanking her gown over her head. He used it to clean himself—it was totally soiled with both of their fluids anyway—and then tossed it over the edge of the massive bed, then sighed happily as he pulled her tightly into his arms. “We skipped a few pages in that book, but like I said, we’ll discuss it later if you’d like,” he chuckled happily.

Turning crimson, Serenity could only nod as the most arrogant man she’d ever met actually snuggled with her, his satisfied purr filling the room along with the scent of what had just went on beneath the covers.


	11. Chapter 11

As Vegeta expected, Serenity was the complete and total image of the blushing bride when they awoke in the morning, but he found himself actually smiling at the sight of her reddened cheeks and the way her eyes demurely refused to meet his. “Good morning, _r’sha_ ,” he breathed as he dipped his mouth to brush over hers.

                “Morning,” she whispered shyly as she tugged the sheet up to cover her, despite the fact that he could feel every bare inch of her deliciously pressing to his warm flesh. “Um… uh… last night…”

                “Was wonderful,” he rumbled as he pushed her golden tresses out of her face and yanked the sheet back down to bare her. “Don’t be shy, goddess,” he purred seductively. “After all, I tasted every inch of you… well, not _every_ inch. But I fully intend to fix that here and now if you’ll allow it.”

                Blushing to her toes, Serenity whimpered when she felt his lips ghosting down her throat—how such a minimal amount of contact could make her burn with need was beyond her, but she was already aching as she remembered the night before and how hard and often he’d made her climax. “Ok,” she breathed, “but—“

                A loud knock cut her off and they both made a soft noise of frustration at the sound of Haruka outside the door. “Damn it, wench! Fuck off!” Vegeta bellowed. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble already!?”

                Serenity immediately punched him in the arm and grabbed her robe from the side of the bed before answering the door, and she sighed at the bags beneath her sister’s red-rimmed blue eyes. “Ruka, you ok?”

                “I’m sorry,” Haruka whispered, running a hand through her disheveled short hair. “And I wanted to tell Hotaru that too, but no one is allowed into the Temple of Saturn. Could you please talk to her? Let her know that I’m sorry, Serenity. Please.”

                To the surprise of both women, Vegeta was at the door—still naked—and he used his head to indicate that she should come in. “It’s likely Gohan that’s got the doors barred, woman. Stop that blubbering and come eat something.”

                Giving Vegeta a smile of gratitude, Serenity led her sister in and made her sit at the table, where a servant had already brought breakfast. “Vegeta’s right, Ruka. Eat something while I try and call Hotaru. And Geta? Get some pants on,” she added with a chuckle as she served up a platter of food and set it in front of the Senshi of wind.

                While the prince got dressed, Usagi dialed Hotaru on her communicator and wasn’t surprised to have it answered by Gohan. “Is she alright?”

                “She woke a few times in the night. She’s asleep again. And tell her father that if she shows up again, I’ll put her through a wall,” he added with a growl.

                Serenity automatically shoved Haruka back into her chair when she shot up and started to protest, and gave Gohan her best disapproving frown. “She’s not trying to break you kids up, Gohan. She’s worried sick about her daughter and actually wanted to apologize to the both of you. So grow up.”

                Gritting his teeth as he fought his beast, Gohan finally managed a nod. “Tell Haruka to wait until Hotaru’s well; I can’t control the urge to rip her apart right now… and I would rather not kill my mate’s father.”

#######################

                Gohan hung up then and did the only thing that had calmed him down all night—he snuggled in tightly to Hotaru, nuzzling her throat and her mark as he got his scent all over her and tried his best to relax. There was nothing he could do about the fact that she’d been injured; it had been an accident, and his mate would be devastated if anything ever happened to her father. So he’d just have to wait for her to wake up before he could do anything about calming his beast down thoroughly.

                That wait lasted hours, but when he woke out of his half-doze the moment Hotaru stirred, he felt infinitely better as soon as she sensed his beast’s emotions and kissed him. “I’m alright, rice boy. You?”

                “I need you,” he confessed, skimming his calloused hands down the length of her bare flesh. He began to tremble as his beast started jerking at the leash, and Gohan groaned helplessly as he felt himself harden beneath the sheets. “Tell me you’re mine, Firefly… need to hear it.”

                Shit… the way his eyes were flickering back and forth between black and green told her that she was likely getting mated that night—or was it that day?—whether she liked it or not, and Hotaru tried her very best to relax. “I’m yours, Gohan, but… please don’t,” she whispered with a hint of fear. “I’m not ready for that yet.”

                “Whatever you want, _r’sha_ ,” he groaned as he rolled on top of her and rocked his arousal into her thigh. “Won’t take you… but I need you; gods, I need you so badly, Taru.”

                “You need to make a mess, in other words?” She asked at an attempt at levity. Hotaru was about to make another crack when he suddenly lifted her hips and her legs, placing her feet on either side of his head so that they were resting on her shoulders, and any and all jokes died right on her lips when she felt him pressing into her core. “G—Gohan—n—no, you said you wouldn’t!” She yelped in fear.

                “Won’t,” he ground out from between his clenched teeth. “Don’t move,” his beast ordered as his hair shifted to blonde and stayed that way, rather than flickering back to black. The Super Saiyan panted heavily for a moment as he restrained himself from thrusting into her, and once he had a handle on his desire for his mate, he angled his length along her sex and pressed her thighs tightly around it. “Like this,” he assured her. “…and I want you to come for me, Hotaru. Understand?”

                Oh, she understood, alright. His beast was in utter control, and if she didn’t find her own pleasure with him, he’d likely lose his shit. Hotaru wasn’t sure if she could, but when he began to slide between her parted folds and the ridge of his cock bumped her clit, she knew she’d definitely wind up coming for him—and soon.

                “Yes?” He purred when she moaned quietly, her eyes fluttering shut as his hands kneaded her backside and he felt her growing wet, the extra lubrication making his thrusts smoother and infinitely better for the both of them.

                “G—Gohan… don’t stop… feels so good…”

                “Are you about to come for me, my mate?” His beast asked, his tone greedy and dripping with desire. When she only whimpered and nodded, Gohan growled happily and picked up the pace, making sure to grind down on her clit with every slick, graceful flex of his hips.

                It took only a couple minutes of that wonderful attention to her sensitive bud before Hotaru fell into rapture, her hands clutching tightly at his arms as the sweet, hot pleasure rippled through every nerve ending and she went limp against him. The Senshi of Death recovered when he didn’t stop moving, and when it was evident that he was close she clamped her thighs closer together and began to move with him as she reveled in his soft groans of delight. “Come for me, Gohan,” she whispered. “It felt so good… I want you to feel it, too.”

                “Close, _k’sha m’yo_. Tell me you’re mine,” he ordered roughly.

                “I’m yours,” she replied gently, her lips twitching up in a smile as she felt him stiffen and quicken and he began to move harder. Hotaru felt utterly empowered when he came at the sound of her response, and while she grimaced at the mess he made all over her, she couldn’t help but relish the fact that _she’d_ been the one to make him totally lose control.

                It wasn’t until Gohan’s hair shifted back to black that he groaned at the sight of her covered in his essence and he immediately found a towel at the bedside. “Sorry, Hota,” he whispered, his face turning bright red in embarrassment, “I um… you’ve got a little—“ He pointed at her bottom lip and waited for her to yell at him.

                The pissed off scream never came though, and Gohan moaned and began to stiffen again when her tongue flickered out to remove the drop from her mouth. “Well, at least it doesn’t taste awful,” she mused as she ignored the lust in his eyes and took the offered towel to clean up the rest.

                “Woman, I will give you anything you want if you do that again,” Gohan purred.

                “Anything?” Hotaru countered with a sly grin. When he nodded, she dipped her finger in the warm seed on her chest and licked it clean; his groan was all the reward she needed. Gods, why did this man turn her on so much!?

                “What do you want, _r’sha_?” He purred once he could think of anything besides being sheathed inside of her.

                “Breakfast,” she replied simply as she wiped herself clean, followed by a point to the door. “I satisfied your hunger, so now you can satisfy mine. I want three eggs, four pieces of bacon, hashbrowns and French toast. What?” She asked when he just stared at her. “Thought I was going to ask for a sexual favor?”

                “No,” he admitted in a choked voice. Her mention of satisfying his hunger had made him realize that she could have asked for him to go away and leave her alone, to relinquish his claim over her as her mate. But she hadn’t… she’d only asked for breakfast.

                Rolling her eyes as she read his thoughts, Hotaru just pointed at the door once more. “You’re not bad for a giant warrior dork,” she sputtered. “I guess I like having you around. Now go get my breakfast, and _maybe_ I’ll be willing to work out another exchange of favors with you.”

                “Yes, my queen!” Gohan replied happily, kissing her once before shrugging on his pants and darting out the door.

#############################################

                “Ok, maybe not the best idea I’ve ever had, but sweet mother of Mercury…” Ami sighed and arched—or at least tried to—when she felt the head of a thick, throbbing cock push forward, giving her only two inches of its length. “Please,” she whined, trying her damnedest to arch into the body pressing tightly to hers. It wasn’t pinning her in place, though, the hands at her wrists and ankles were doing a fine job of that, holding her down to the bottom of her tub in a spread-eagle position as dozens of hands and a few mouths licked and caressed and teased her relentlessly.

                Then it all stopped and she panted beneath the water. “What? Why… what’s going on?” She asked as the hands released her and she trembled in need.

                The water seemed almost… _smug_ … as it answered her. _Nappa is bathing._

Still stupid with desire, it took Ami a full minute before she understood the implications of that sentence and she smiled mischievously. “Is he alone?”

                _Yes._

“Well then, let’s have some fun, shall we?” She giggled, coming up for air to find a perfect water replica of Nappa sitting in her tub. “Hm… where shall we start with our water voodoo?”

#######################

                Relaxing as his scrapes and bruises healed from an impromptu spar with Vegeta, Nappa sighed at the feeling of the piping hot water soaking his aching muscles. “Mmm… at least they have tubs big enough to accommodate a Saiyan on this planet,” he chuckled as he leaned his head back and shut his eyes, his mind going right to Ami and working on his next plan to court her. “I should get her more flowers… maybe another book.”

                His heart actually fluttered as he thought about the morning before and how she’d touched him and kissed him; Nappa knew she was a virgin and fairly inexperienced, but gods, she’d been so passionate! “Gods, I’m in that word with her… who would’ve thought I’d ever fall for a woman nearly three feet shorter than me,” he half-groaned to himself.

                It was then that he felt something curious in the water; it felt like it was moving against him, touching him, and then—“THE HELL!?” He yelped, sounding incredibly unmanly as he tried to jump out of the tub, only to be instantly restrained by several sets of vice-like hands and arms. Then that touch came again, a light stroking of fingertips down his chest, and he whimpered as his eyes went wide in terror. “The tub is haunted! Oh my dear gods, the tub is fucking HAUNTED!”

                If his eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have when the water flowed up to his chin and he felt a pair of lips whispering over his throat just as the fingers drifted further south and began to gently stroke his flaccid cock. He yelped again when he felt a tongue stroke the head and two mouths began to suck at his flat, male nipples, and his struggles were renewed despite the sets of hands pinning him firmly in place. “HELP! HELP! HELP! THE BATHTUB GHOST IS TRYING TO RAPE ME!”

                Much to his relief, he heard the door behind him slam open just as the lips that were now gently massaging his cock managed to get it to stir in interest, and Nappa craned his head just far enough to stare in horror up at Raditz. “ _Help!_?” He squeaked out.

                “Nappa, I could hear you all the way in Red’s room. The fuck is going on!? There is no fucking ghost in your godsdamned bathtub!” Then the long-haired Saiyan noticed that Nappa wasn’t turning around, that he was clearly pinned in place and futilely struggling against some sort of invisible restraint. “The fresh hell…”

                “It’s… it’s… _down there_ ,” Nappa hissed out, using his eyes to point southward. “The ghost… it’s… _it’s touching me_!”

                Raditz froze at that and couldn’t help but grin. “Hell, if that ghost wants some Saiyan lovin’, I’ll be more than happy to help it out.” He laughed when Nappa looked like he was going to cry and leaned back against the wall until he got it under control. “Chill out, Nappa, it’s not a ghost,” he snickered. “Think very carefully about the only two goddesses in the universe that can do this sort of thing.” When realization dawned on Nappa’s face, Raditz grinned and nodded. “So, you either have a lesbian that seriously likes to mess with people’s heads, or someone that is in luuuurve with you. And I think it’s likely the second of the two.”

                Nappa immediately felt his cock stir to life now that he was no longer terrified, and the mouth that immediately engulfed the tip had him groaning softly. “Raditz… get out,” he barely managed to choke.

                “Aaaaaand he gets it!” Raditz laughed as he locked the door from the inside and took his leave. “Enjoy!” He shouted from outside before scurrying off to find Rei, who was due for some Saiyan lovin’ of her own… and seeing Nappa restrained had given Raditz an awfully fun and creative idea to try out with his new mate.

                “Oh dear gods… _Blue_ … if you can hear me right now… you are so going to fucking _pay_ for scaring the shit out of me like this.” He felt a warm body pressing to him as he closed his eyes and the mouth below his waist continued to worship him—he noted that it was definitely Ami, the lips and tongue were slow and a little hesitant, now that he thought about it. And then she pulled away and he thrust his hips up a little, seeking her out. “Feels so good, Blue… don’t stop,” he whispered.

                That was when the hands holding him in place suddenly shifted and pulled him into the center of the tub, lying him flat on his back as many arms cradled him from below so that all of him was underwater except for his mouth, nose and eyes. Once he was in position, the mouth began to gently pleasure him once more and he purred in response, lifting his hands up to cradle her head to him, running his fingers encouragingly through her hair.

                He didn’t even think to question how it was possible that he could feel her there, he just accepted it and whispered her name heatedly as he felt a familiar tingle in his spine, signaling his imminent climax. “Ami… baby… I’m gonna come…” He felt Ami’s mouth move deeper then, barely taking half of him, but the sensation sent him over the edge and he moaned her name loudly as fire ripped through his veins and he was washed in pure ecstasy, her mouth sucking and licking and nibbling as he shot his seed down her throat. “Gods, _r’sha_ … love you,” he whispered deliriously, his eyes remaining shut as he felt her climb up his body and he momentarily lost the ability to breathe from the lips moving over his own. “I’d tell you to get up here and sit on my face, but I think I’d drown,” he chuckled once she’d broken away.

                He was surprised to actually hear a watery giggle in his ears and his purr hitched happily when he recognized the voice. “Mmm… now this, I could get used to. Makes me wonder what you’ve been getting up to in your own bathtub, my sexy little water witch.” Nappa felt her hesitate then and he knew without a doubt that she was blushing, wherever she was. “Hmm… maybe I should come find you and join you?” The general felt a slight shake of her head and a nip at his chest, just as hands encircled his wrists and ankles for a few seconds in a clear command for him to stay put. “Later, then,” he promised softly. “Six in the morning sound good to you, baby?”

                Another little nod came after a moment’s hesitation, then he felt her body slide down a little and his limp member was pressing against her sex. “No,” he grunted. “Baby, I am not taking your virginity like _this_.” He heard another sweet, bubbling laugh then, just as her soft, hot hand engulfed him. “Wait, will this pop your cherry or not?” He wondered aloud. A shake of her head had his beast growling with pleasure and he hardened instantly at the thought of finally fucking her. “Blue, have you been doing this in your tub?”

                There was a pause, and then a soft, “mmhmm” in his ears, followed by the sensation of her hot, wet sex stretching over him and the sound of a sweet, feminine moan of pleasure. Nappa knew for a fact that this was actually Ami and not just the water when she paused in the undertaking of accepting his cock, then began to rock her hips slowly, taking several minutes to work all of him into her body. “You’re so _tight_ ,” he groaned loudly. “Blue, I am not going to last long, I’m telling you now,” he added when she moved a little and flexed around him. Just the very thought of being buried inside of her had his eyes rolling back in ecstasy and his beast coming loose. “Please tell me that you can actually feel this, baby.”

                Another soft “mmhmm” replied, and Nappa immediately gripped her hips and rocked upwards. He was rewarded with a moan of pleasure and didn’t hesitate to start a slow, steady rhythm that filled his ears with more of that sweet sound, his heart aching with joy at the knowledge that he finally had his mate, was at long last hearing her desire in his ears as her body gripped him tightly and flexed repeatedly in rapture. “Feels so good when you come, baby… come for me again…” His eyes cracked open then and he groaned loudly at the sight of a translucent, perfect replica of Ami’s form straddling him, her head tipped back and her mouth open in pure ecstasy. “So fuckin’ beautiful, baby… gods, I just want to fuck you so hard right now…”

                The underwater voice merely whimpered in response, her hips moving a little faster, and he heard a choked noise of pleasure when he discovered with his hands how accurate this water version of his mate was when he sought out her clit and massaged it slowly, his other hand creeping up to play with a taut nipple.

                That resulted in another loud moan and he felt her tighten once more, his own hips bucking up into hers as he felt himself nearing his own climax. “I’m gonna come again, baby… come with me,” Nappa whispered deliriously. He barely managed to hang on for her when he felt those warm hands gripping his hips tightly, her voice getting loud as she began crying out and moving harder over him, but he held out until he felt her convulse about his arousal one more time, her tight walls squeezing him and milking him for all he was worth.

                And when he could breathe and felt her simply resting on his chest, he cracked his eyes open to find that beautiful watery form lying on top of him, her head pillowed over his heart. “Wish I could kiss you,” he mumbled. “Or at least talk—wait, I’ve got that covered,” he said quickly, disappointed when her form melted away the moment he moved to the edge of the tub to grab his scouter. “You didn’t have to go, Blue.”

                He called her then and smiled at the sight of her soaked hair and red face. “Had to go,” she replied to what she’d heard from the tub, “or I wouldn’t have been able to answer.” There was a long pause and she swallowed before speaking again, unable to look him in the eye. “So, um… sorry that I scared you. It’s hard to talk underwater and be understood. I won’t do it again if you don’t want me to… gods, you probably think I’m some crazy freak,” she added quickly.

                “Oh no, baby… trust me, I liked it. A lot.”

                Ami perked up at that a little and managed to meet his gaze, turning a brighter red at the way he was looking at her worshipfully. “So… you’re not weirded out or…?”

“Blue, I can’t even begin to describe how amazing that was.” Nappa just shook his head slightly, his eyes still a little wide in wonder. “I’m coming over, woman,” he added quickly, deciding right then and there that he needed to see her, throwing his pants on in a mad rush as he left the bathroom barefoot.

                “No, Nappa! I—I’m not—not yet! Just, not yet, ok!?” She managed fearfully. “Damn it, I knew this whole thing was a horrible idea, but I just couldn’t listen to the voice of common sense in my head when the water told me that you were bathing!”

                “Ami.” The firm tone of his voice made her look at him silently on his screen, her eyes full of uncertainty. “I won’t take you. I swear it on my tail. I just… I wanted to kiss you. I don’t think I could have in the water without drowning.” He grinned a little sheepishly as he took to the air and went straight for the Temple of Mercury, landing behind it and locating the stone that Vegeta had told him about several days ago. “I wouldn’t mind admitting to wanting to just… you know. Hold you. If that’s alright.”

                He waited for her to sigh and fluff her hair as she thought it over, then moved the stone to reveal a passageway that led down and west, and he used his Saiyan speed to reach a door that opened easily, revealing a silk-clad water goddess standing in her room with her back to him, gazing down at the communicator in her hand. “I’ll ask a handmaiden to drain the entryway,” she sighed.

                Nappa cut off his scouter then and floated up behind her, utterly silent. “No need,” he purred in her ear, grinning evilly the moment she turned and screamed loudly. He immediately yanked her up into his arms then and laughed as she struggled, taking her right to the bed and pinning her beneath his massive form. “Now, now Ami… we both know that if I hadn’t grabbed you, you would have run again and _that_ —“he brushed a fingertip over her nose. “—would be a very bad idea. Especially since you wouldn’t have even made it to the fucking door and I would have been on you like white on rice, my promise be damned.”

                Ami trembled and swallowed, her eyes wide as she gazed up at him. “You scared the fucking hell out of me,” she croaked.

                “Well, then! I suppose that makes us about _even_ , baby,” he purred, dipping his face to nip at her shoulder. “I’m sure you got one hell of a kick out of me squealing like a pig about haunted bathtubs and water ghosts that rape the unwary.” He kissed her then and chuckled when it took her a long minute to finally return it, her very real, warm hand cradling the back of his head. “Now, tell me,” he continued once he’d broken away. “Did you actually take all of me? Or was it smaller on your end somehow?”

                Her bright blush told him all he needed to know and he was instantly hard at the thought of making her take it all again, but she squirmed at the feeling of him pressing into her stomach and shook her head. “Not unless you want it, beautiful… but why in the hell would you worry about the real thing when you took all of Ghost Nappa, hm? Or, Water Ghost Nappa. Whatever. And how in the hell did it not pop your cherry?” He added incredulously.

                “Um, well, you see… water flows and the way the water explained it to me, it moved around my hymen and just shifted and flowed whenever it moved inside of me and—“ She stopped at that, her blush creeping down past the top of her dress. It took her a moment not to choke on the words, but she continued after a minute. “And as for mating with you… I want to,” she whispered shyly. “I really, really do. But… give me a couple more days, Nappa. Please. If it was just sex, I’d beg you to take me now, but… it’s marriage, too. And I need a little more time to wrap my brain around that.”

                “Only if you let me return the favor from the tub,” he breathed in her ear before he began to nibble at it. He scented her combined arousal and a touch of fear, and he let his beast put his tail to work while he began purring and trailing his lips down her throat to nuzzle her shoulder. “Let me taste you, Blue. I can smell how wet you are, you know… tell me… have you been receiving such pleasure in the tub?”

                “Um… uh…”

                Her wide eyes and ever-present blush had him sliding the straps of her dress down her arms, and in a moment she was fully bare, his eyes eating her up slowly while his beast growled possessively and gnawed at its chain. “Don’t you want to know if I’m as good as my doppelganger?”

                “I… I’m sure you’d be better,” she answered in an effort to pacify him, nervously trying to wriggle out from under him. Before Ami could get loose, Nappa was kneeling between her thighs and lifting her to his mouth, licking at her zealously and groaning at the sweet and tangy flavor.

                She lost her balance then despite his hands steadying her, but she didn’t fall and was instead lowered carefully to the covers without his mouth leaving her, his tongue thrusting inside of her the moment she was flat on her back and he was lying on his stomach with his legs hanging off the edge of the massive bed.

                And the sounds she was making were absolutely delicious; the water had not done her justice at all, as she was much more vocal than she had been the other morning, crying out his name softly, begging for more, her little hands clutching at the back of his head and her thighs trembling about his neck. “Nappa, please!”

                The desperation in her voice made him purr loudly in response, and the general immediately removed his tongue from her entrance so he could take her clit between his lips and suck aggressively. He slid his fingers into her then, thrusting them gently as she moaned and bucked, and within moments she was coming loudly, her nails digging bloody half-moons into his scalp.

                But he wasn’t done there; Nappa let out a low, possessive growl as his beast broke the surface, and as soon as Ami was coming down from her first orgasm, he was thrusting harder and nipping and licking at her clit, taking her right up for a second. Gods, he couldn’t seem to get enough of her taste, her scent, the sound of her crying his name in utter rapture.

                He wanted nothing more than to drive himself deep inside of her when she came for a third time, and then a fourth, her limbs shaking uncontrollably as she whimpered and clung to him tightly. But he’d promised, so when Nappa finally lapped up her desire from her thighs and then slid up to kiss her heatedly, he only ground his aching cock into her hip. “Want you so badly, baby,” he rasped out, his words barely loud enough to be heard above his purring. “Want to make you mine… tell me to take you, Blue… to bite you and fuck you…”

                His words made her moan softly, but Ami managed the barest shake of her head as she jerked his mouth back to hers for a slow, deep kiss, her hands slipping between them to stroke him firmly. “Lie down,” she finally instructed when his lips travelled to her throat. “I’ll take care of you, Nappa.”

                He could only nod in reply, but he stayed on top of her for a little while longer, savoring the taste of her breasts as he nipped and suckled them slowly, his hands exploring her and worshiping every inch of flesh he could find. “You’re even better than the tub, baby… the real thing is _so_ much better.”

                “You too,” she whispered, tenderly exploring him as well. “Now lay down, big man… I couldn’t taste you in the water and I want to find out if it’s as good as I thought it would be.”

######################

                Haruka sighed with relief when she found the doors to the Temple of Saturn unlocked and she steeled her nerves for what she was about to say to her daughter when she pushed them open and stepped inside.

                The Senshi of Wind wasn’t surprised to find Gohan waiting for her in the main entryway, but she was amazed—and relieved—to see Hotaru waiting as well, a blush creeping over her pale cheeks and her small hand tightening around the handle of her glaive. “Hota-kun,” Haruka sighed. “I’m glad to see that you’re well.”

                “Thanks, Papa… I’m fine. You?” When Haruka nodded, Hotaru exchanged a few words with her mate before detransforming and rushing into the older woman’s arms, hugging her tightly. “I’m sorry, Papa.”

                “It wasn’t your fault,” Haruka sighed. “You fell in love… it happens to all of us at some point; hell, it even happened to me once upon a time,” she added with a tiny smile. “You do love him, right?” She added as an afterthought while Gohan stared her down, his tail swishing around behind him in agitation.

                “Yeah,” Hotaru mumbled shyly. “Even if he is a big dork.”

                The goddess of Uranus cracked a real smile at that and kissed the top of her head before releasing her and nudging her back towards her mate. “You have my blessing, then. If you love him and it makes you happy...” She turned to Gohan and ruffled her blonde hair thoughtfully. “I’m sorry for what happened yesterday. I knew that the day would eventually come when she’d have a suitor, but it’s not like I’d just hand her over to just anyone—“

                “I’m not just anyone,” Gohan growled.

                “Shut up, puppy, I wasn’t finished!” Haruka snapped loudly. “I was going to say—before you so rudely interrupted me—that Hotaru would never choose _just anyone_ , so therefore, you must be special! I was _trying_ to give you a compliment, you little shit.”

                Mollified, Gohan shrugged. “Sorry. And thank you.”

                Hotaru just rolled her eyes as she looked between them both, and when she spoke it made her Papa and her mate both laugh. “Special? Special needs, maybe.”

                “Yeah,” Gohan finally agreed, “you make me feel like I belong in the special class, firefly.”

                “Whatever. Come on short bus, I’m hungry for lunch. You coming, Papa?” Hotaru added after ten feet and she only heard Gohan following her.

                Elated that she hadn’t been left out, Haruka nodded and quickly caught up to her daughter while she prayed to the gods that she wouldn’t get in yet another argument with Gohan.

###########################

                                “Nappa.”

                The Saiyan general could only grunt in reply when he felt Bardock settling in beside him, and he never once took his eyes off of the blue-haired beauty down in the water, her nose buried in the newest book he’d given her.

                “I have a very… odd question to ask you.” Knowing he had his ear, if not his full attention, Bardock sighed and scratched at his head. “You were pretty active with the ladies well into your sixties, and I wondered if you’d ever had problems?”

                “Problems?” Nappa muttered. “The hell are you talking about, Bardock?”

                “You _know_ … _problems_ … in _that_ department.” Bardock groaned and hung his head when the massive general just gave him a confused glance before locking his eyes once more on the queen of Mercury. “Getting it up,” he hissed out softly.

                Nappa snorted at that. “Never.”

                “Never?” The incredulous disbelief in Bardock’s voice had Nappa smirking in pride.

                “ _Never_.” Finally sparing Bardock more than a glance, he chuckled and shook his head. “Seriously?” When the other warrior nodded, Nappa felt a wave of sympathy run through him and decided to give Bardock whatever advice he could. “Well… how often does it happen?”

                “After the first round, Mako usually has to…” Bardock actually blushed and swallowed, unable to look Nappa in the eye. “Well, when she puts a knife to my throat, it gets my cock hard as a rock.” When Nappa laughed so hard that he fell over, he was confused. “What? What’s so funny?”

                “Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh dear gods, you’re such a _freak_ , Bardock!”

                “I _knew_ it!” Bardock snapped out quietly. “And she told me that it was fine, too!”

                “Hey, whatever floats your armada, Bardock,” Nappa replied with a sly grin. “Hell, who am I to judge…? After all, Raditz had to have gotten that freaky ass nature of his from _somewhere_.” Nappa was still chuckling when Bardock left in a huff, and when he looked back down at his mate he sighed softly as he picked up the writing board they used.

                _Want you now, Ami,_ it read in Saiyan glyphs when the queen of Mercury grabbed it from the bottom of the pool. Her own sigh sent a trail of bubbles to the surface, and she shook her head as she wrote out a careful reply.

                _I do too, but I’m not ready, Nappa. I’m sorry._

The Saiyan general felt like beating his head against a wall when he read that and knew he needed some alone time to think of some way to get her to accept the mating bond. He set down the flowers he’d brought her, leaving them on the edge of the pool, but when he moved to leave he caught her gazing up at him adoringly and sat back down. _Soon?_ He wrote on the board before sending it back down.

                Ami sighed when she read the single glyph. Yes, she’d said she needed a couple of days… and it had definitely been a couple. But she was so uneasy about the prospect of marriage that she just couldn’t seem to get over it. _Soon,_ she replied in Solarian capital letters.

                Nappa nodded down at her and resumed his quiet watch until his scouter rang and he picked it up to hear Vegeta on the other end of the line. “I’m about to make your day, old man.”

                “If it involves a certain blue-haired princess, I’m all ears, Vegeta.”

 “You with her now?”

                “With… is a bit of a loose term. She’s sitting on the bottom of the pool and hasn’t come up for a couple hours. She said to give her a couple days but… that was three days ago… and I’m starting to get a little frustrated,” he admitted with a weary sigh.

                “Do you think she’d let you die?” Vegeta asked seriously.

                “What!? Um… no,” Nappa said slowly, once he realized that his liege wasn’t joking around. “Why?”

                “Then do what I tell you to. If you want to win the chase, take off your armor and walk into the pool.”


	12. Chapter 12

“I would have finished it sooner had I not been tied up in affairs of state, but here you go,” Vegeta said as he handed the book over, grinning the moment she blushed and stepped to the side to allow him entry to her chambers. “In fact, if you have any other books that you wish for me to study… believe it or not, I actually enjoy reading.”

                “I have to admit,” she said hesitantly, slowly edging away from him, “I’d always thought you more of a picture-book type, not a novel reader.”

                “Sticks and stones, beautiful. I prefer tactical manuals and historical books. So… would you care to test my knowledge of _this_ book?” He purred as he approached the table full of food. “I memorized pages twenty through twenty-four… just in case you wanted to go past twenty-three.” Vegeta grinned when he realized that they were circling the table as she continued to retreat while he slowly pursued her. “Going in circles, Sere.” He stopped at that and waited. “I thought you wanted to try a few pages? After all, we already partook of a couple the other night.”

                “I said ‘maybe’ as I recall,” she replied primly. “And I was feeling a lot braver, then. And the other night, I…” She looked away from him as she felt her face grow hot at the memory of them kissing in the courtyard, followed by her memory of three nights ago, and she couldn’t help but admit that she was aching for more of him. Then she realized that she was twiddling her thumbs and stopped. “I was… um… just sitting down to lunch… if you’d like to join me.”

                Vegeta sighed, but not without an understanding half-smile, and stepped over to her chair to wordlessly hold it out for her.

                Surprised by such a polite gesture, the queen couldn’t help but accept it and blushed as he bent to brush his mouth over hers before taking the seat across from her. “Um… here,” she said softly, pushing a plate of food over to him. “I have a rather large appetite, so they always send more than I can eat.”

                He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he wasn’t about to refuse food from his mate, whether she’d meant the offer as a courting gesture or not. “Fork?” He asked hopefully, eyeing the chopsticks with annoyance. “I still haven’t gotten the hang of these things.”

                “Really?” Serenity asked in astonishment. “But it’s so easy, I thought someone of your intelligence would have adapted to the change in less than a day.” She blushed as she realized that she’d actually complimented him, then rolled her eyes when he grinned; apparently he hadn’t missed it, either.

                “Tell you what, woman. Teach me how to use these infernal sticks and I’ll teach you how to fly,” he offered.

                “Really!?” Serenity asked, jumping out of her chair to circle the table. “I’ve been dying to learn, but ever since Haruka saw you naked in my room, she’s been watching me like a hawk. Raditz had to bitch and moan to get past her yesterday, in fact… I take it you snuck by Rei,” she added knowingly.

                “Something like that,” he allowed, not about to explain that he and Sailor Mars had an understanding. And since he was thinking about it, he needed to track her down later on; they were due for a planning session concerning Nappa and Ami, and how to get them together before the conception deadline.

                “What is that sound?” Serenity asked as she took his hand in hers and put the chopsticks in the correct position. “I hear Raditz making it all the time whenever he’s with Rei, and you’ve made it several times as well.”

                It was Vegeta’s turn to blush. “It only started when I met you. It means that I’m… you know. Happy.”

                “Oh. So that scowl’s your happy face. Good to know,” she teased lightly, trying not to show how embarrassed she was at his confession. She made him happy? Really? And he’d never purred like that for any other reason? “There,” she said finally. “Just flex those fingers,” she said with a point, “and open and close them together. You sort of hold them like you would a pen. Try it a few times to get a feel for it before you try and pick anything up.”

                Vegeta did as he was told, and was feeling pretty confident about his ability to work them… until he tried to pick up some noodles like he’d seen her do only a few minutes ago, and the sticks shifted into his fist and the noodles fell. “Urgh! How do you people ever eat!?” He asked with a huff. “ _Now_ I know why you’re so damned skinny, you burn more calories trying to get your food in your mouth than you actually consume!”

                Covering her mouth to hide a giggle, Serenity patiently repositioned the sticks for him and waited. He tried for a piece of shrimp this time, got it to his mouth… and then they slipped again, sending the food flying across the room to land on her bed. “That’s it!” He growled, incinerating the chopsticks with a pulse of ki before holding out his hand. “Fork, woman. **_Now_**.”

                “Dear gods,” she chuckled as she crossed the room to pick up her communicator. “Uh… yes? I’m in my chambers, and Prince Vegeta has decided to join me for lunch. Could someone please send up a fork for him? I’m afraid his chopsticks met a fiery demise…. Yes, thank you. Sorry to bother you while you were working,” she added quickly.

                “You actually apologize to servants?” Vegeta asked carefully as she took her seat once more. Sure, she’d been kind to them in the previous timeline, but why apologize for requesting that they do their jobs?

                “They work just as hard as I do, Highness,” Serenity said with just a hint of ice to her tone. “People thank me every day for the work I do and apologize if they interrupt me, why shouldn’t my cooks and maids be treated similarly? Don’t your personal servants do a good job?”

                Vegeta blinked and shrugged. “I don’t have personal servants. Someone washes my clothing, yes, and cooks my food. But I make my own bed and dress myself. The _palace_ has servants, not me, so I’m not familiar with them.”

                “Huh… well, I guess that a man wouldn’t need help getting dressed. Though I also make my own bed unless my maid doesn’t catch me at it and chastise me like a child. And I only need help with my formal gowns; what I’m wearing now is easy enough to slip into without any help.” Serenity looked up at a knock at the door. “Excuse me.”

                Vegeta nodded and immediately dropped the ki shield so she could open the door, then grinned when he heard her arguing with whoever had been on the other side of it.

                “No, Haruka! …dear gods, it’s only _lunch_!” She hissed quietly. “No—I—Saiyans _all_ sleep naked!” She protested hotly, still trying to keep her voice down.

Vegeta grinned at that, but his expression could only be described as a cross between hilarity and shock when he suddenly heard, “nothing happened the other night, Ruka, and even if it did, it wouldn’t be any of your damned business!”

 “…yes, it **_is_** your business when I let him mark me, but not until then! Now give me some privacy and _let him court me_!” She finished with a yell before she slammed her door shut and locked it. “GODS! Are your guards this damned pushy!?” She added as she walked back over and set his fork down in front of him.

                “Not over my choice of female company,” he quipped. “And did I… just hear the great and pure Serenity tell a _lie_?”

                She blushed brightly at that and sputtered as she took her seat, but finally just shrugged. “You’d have Ruka’s head so far up your ass you’d be coughing up a blonde hairball?”

                “No, but… I’m still a little stunned that you’d lie to her on my behalf,” he admitted with a tiny, triumphant smile. “Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

                “Nappa have any luck?” Serenity asked between bites, purposely changing the subject. “Because Ami’s still spending an awful long time in the water section of her temple.”

                Vegeta blinked. “Feh. I forgot about that, woman. In fact,” he said with a laugh, “the way that he sinks like a stone gives me an excellent idea. Excuse me for a moment, Sere.” The prince whipped out his scouter, dialed his bodyguard, then grinned at the sight of Nappa. “I’m about to make your day, old man.”

                “If it involves a certain blue-haired princess, I’m all ears, Vegeta.”

 “You with her now?”

                “With… is a bit of a loose term. She’s sitting on the bottom of the pool and hasn’t come up for a couple hours. She said to give her a couple days but… that was three days ago… and I’m starting to get a little frustrated,” he admitted with a weary sigh.

                “Do you think she’d let you die?” Vegeta asked seriously.

                “What!? Um… no,” Nappa said slowly, once he realized that his liege wasn’t joking around. “Why?”

                “Then do what I tell you to. Take off your armor and walk into the pool.”

                “But… Prince Vegeta, I _can’t swim_!”                                                           

                “Exactly,” he replied with a devilish grin. “She’ll use her Senshi strength to pull you out of the pool, and then she’ll have to lock lips with you to get you breathing again.”

                “But… but I can hold my breath for like… fifteen minutes, Highness.”

                “Does _she_ know that?” He asked patiently. Vegeta laughed as Nappa slowly smiled, his eyes twinkling with delight as he glanced behind him to the pool. “Have fun, Nappa.”

                “Oh… I will. And thank you,” he added with a happy smile as he signed off. “I’ll name my first child after you for this.”

                Vegeta cackled at that as he dialed Rei’s communicator. “Red, Operation Blue is a go. Abort intervention.”

                “Wha!? HOW!?”

                “Her Majesty and I put our heads together and stumbled upon a viable solution to it all. Nappa’s in the Temple of Mercury right now, pretending to drown right in front of her. Hopefully she won’t let his oversized ass die.”

                “Um… I haven’t been hanging around Ami much, so unless she’s no longer totally terrified of him, it could go either way.”

                “Oh, well. I suppose that may be a problem, but since I’m sure that Nappa’s already in the pool, it’s a little late to tell him to abort,” he chuckled. “Guess we’ll find out in a few hours… but I’m confident that Ami won’t let him die. You didn’t see the way she blushed over his stupid, sappy little love letters.”

                “I’ll cross my fingers that we don’t have to fish his body out. How is your pursuit so far?” Rei asked with a chuckle.

                “Well, I’m having lunch with the queen right now, so I’ll have to let you go,” he said, trying to convey his answer without giving anything away.

                “In her chambers, I hope?”

                “Most definitely. We’re discussing a book that Minako lent her,” he added, and grinned when Serenity blushed. “She lent it to me in turn and I found it extremely… interesting.”

                “Ooooh… well, I won’t keep you, then. If it’s the book I read last month, you’re in for one hell of a conversation.”

                “Yup. Fill me in on Blue later on.” Vegeta turned off his scouter and tucked it away before facing his quarry. “So… let’s eat. And discuss that book, perhaps?”

                “Yes to the first, no to the second,” Serenity replied hurriedly.

                Vegeta inwardly sighed and used his newly acquired fork to eat for a few minutes before he stopped and studied her carefully. A question had occurred to him that he’d never thought to ask her during the first try, and now everything seemed to make total sense to him. “Sere? Can I ask you a very personal question? Without you taking it the wrong way? I don’t want you to consider it a come-on, even though it’s going to sound like one.”

                “Uh… I guess so.”

                “Your husband died a year ago,” he said flatly.

                “Yes,” she answered softly, her eyes darkening with grief as she thought of Endymion. Somehow, she was fairly sure that he would have immensely liked Vegeta.

                “And it was from old age.”

                “Yes… it was.”

                “Sere… how long has it been? Really? Not counting the other night, how long has it been since you’ve been intimate with a man?” Vegeta sighed when she turned bright red and quickly shook her head before gazing down at her plate. “Serenity, I’m not asking to embarrass you,” he added almost gently. “I’m asking so that I can understand you better. You can tell me.” He huffed in defeat when she only continued to look down, and the sullen prince went back to his meal. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. Forget I asked.”

                “Over a hundred years,” she whispered so softly that he barely heard her. Serenity licked her lips before continuing; in for a penny, in for a pound—she may as well tell him all of it. “Endymion was human, and therefore a mortal, unlike myself and my sisters. My crystal kept him young and extended his life far beyond what it should have been, but it couldn’t make him immortal.

                “He began to age rapidly a hundred and sixty years ago,” she continued quietly, “and then he grew elderly, and it was a slow death for him until he… he _begged_ me to cut off my light from him. I’d been trying everything I could to reverse the aging, but he… he was right. I should have let him die decades ago. Hotaru finally convinced me to do it… after a long discussion and more tears than I care to remember, she made me realize that death is the greatest healer of them all. So I did it. I let him go one night while it was just the two of us; we said our goodbyes, and I… I let him die in my arms. Just like the first time we’d died.”

                She looked up when she felt him by her side, and sighed in embarrassment as he brushed away the tears she wasn’t even aware of shedding. “I didn’t mean to cry. Forgive me.”

                “I didn’t mean to make you cry, _r’sha_. _Mah’ni_.” Vegeta pulled her up and into his arms then, purring softly as his beast tried to comfort her. Gods, and he’d tried to force her the first time when she’d still been suffering this much!? What was **_wrong_** with him!? “I’m such a bastard,” he sputtered. “Serenity… I’ll give you your space if you’d like. You deserve the right to mourn.”

                “I’m not mourning Endymion,” she whispered, “I mourn the fact that I let him suffer.”

                Vegeta led her over to the sofa and cradled her in his lap, holding her tightly as he tried to give her some comfort. “Letting a mate go is a very hard thing to do, woman. I honestly don’t know how Bardock got through the pain… I know that his brats had a hard time of helping him keep his shit together.” Gods, if he could only tell her how he’d been teetering on the edge of suicide during the long night after she’d killed herself, how close he’d been to just snuffing out his own existence despite the fact that a new beginning was coming with the dawn.

                “Had he felt the pull for her?” Serenity sniffled.

                “Thank the gods, no, or he would have killed himself when Romayna died. But they still shared the mating bond, regardless of whether they’d felt the pull for each other. It’s a very strong, overwhelming thing, you know,” he added softly, remembering all too vividly how it had felt once the half-bond they’d shared had just vanished when she’d passed away in his arms.

                Serenity blinked and looked up at him shyly. “Then… then how are you…”

                “Fighting it?” Vegeta sighed. “It’s not easy, I’ll admit. But you’re in mourning, and I refuse to hurt you, Serenity.” _I could never bear the thought of losing you a second time,_ he added silently. “Hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”

                “Thank you, Geta,” Serenity sighed, gazing up at him with gentle blue eyes, noting that he seemed haunted by something. Probably at the thought of her rejecting him for being too pushy, but he didn’t know that his consideration for her feelings was making it extremely difficult for her to continue denying him a physical relationship. She was kissing him before she could stop herself or think twice about it, and when she immediately heard and felt his purr rumbling strongly and his soft groan of desire, she didn’t regret the action in the slightest, parting her lips the moment she felt his tongue seeking entry.

                The kiss was hot and passionate, yes, but the queen of Crystal Tokyo also marveled that it was slow and patient as well, and that the prince whom she was now straddling—how had that happened!? Hadn’t she just been cradled in his lap!?—was admirably keeping his hands in non-sexual areas even as his lips set her ablaze and the fingers bunched in her hair caused her to ache between her thighs. “Geta,” she breathed the moment his lips left hers and began to trail down her throat, his slow, open-mouthed kisses punctuated with little love bites that felt amazing even if she knew that he was marking her in the process. “Page… page… gods damn it, I can’t remember which page was third base,” she whimpered as she felt him hardening even through her bunched up skirts.

                “Heavy petting?” He choked out as he began unlacing the front of her bodice. Her little nod made him groan with delight, and the moment her breasts were freed from the confining fabric he began to lick and suck at them, drinking in her loud moans of pleasure and wishing that there were fewer pieces of clothing between them when she rocked her hips slowly over his arousal.

                Serenity was having the same thought, so when he readjusted her skirts so that they were bunched between their stomachs, she didn’t protest the fact that he was also unfastening his pants and pressing his hard cock against the drenched silk of her panties, making them the only barrier between them and actual sex. “Oh… oh gods, Geta… OH!” She yelped when he began to thrust against her folds, the ridge on the underside of his cock massaging her clit steadily.

                “Come for me, _r’sha_ ,” he purred before claiming her lips once more, one hand moving to her lower back and the other back to her hair so that he could help her rock her hips in time with him while he kept her mouth locked to his in a heated kiss.

                Vegeta couldn’t help a little private, mental chuckle over the realization that this was a repeat of their first sexual encounter in the first timeline, but all humor was lost on him when she moaned his name into the kiss and he felt her trembling against him as she drew closer to climax. “Come for me, Sere,” he breathed again, breaking the kiss to bite down gently on her shoulder—not even close to being hard enough to break the skin, but just enough to leave a bruise and send a shockwave of ecstasy through her.

                That was the shove she needed to teeter headfirst into heaven, and Serenity moaned her pleasure long and loud, the sound muffled halfway through when she bunched her long fingers in his spikey hair and crushed her lips to his.

                Gods, she’d only meant to give him a kiss, had only meant to show him that she wasn’t going to reject him, but the moment their lips had met, a firestorm of desire had ripped right through her and now she was moaning wantonly and moving her hips in time with his as he reached his own rapture and growled happily into her mouth. _Gods, I’m as bad as Minako,_ Serenity whimpered to herself as another shock of pleasure coursed through her from a slow, delicious grind of his softening cock right into her clit. “I don’t think that was in the book,” she finally managed once they’d dialed back the passionate mating of mouths to a series of little nibbles and slow, gentle kisses.

                “Heh… heheh… maybe we should write our own,” Vegeta chuckled, his hands wandering with a mind of their own, gliding lightly over her breasts and back, the soft fabric of his gloves making her shiver with pleasure. “Care to jot down another few pages, _r’sha_?” He teased when he cracked open his eyes to find her blushing prettily. “Maybe a whole chapter? I’m sure that I can think of a couple things that weren’t in that book, despite the fact that there were positions in it that I’d never even heard of.”

                “No, Vegeta, I… um…”

                The way her blue eyes were anxiously darting around told him that she was about to flee, and the Saiyan prince beneath her sighed heavily. “Sere… if you’re feeling guilty because you’re in mourning, I understand, and I don’t want to overstep your boundaries, but… wouldn’t he want you to be happy again?” The tears welling in her eyes made him feel like the lowest piece of shit he could imagine, and Vegeta kissed her forehead before using his superior strength to settle her on the couch before he righted his pants. “ _Mah’ni, ve’sh m’yo_. I’ll go.”

                He was halfway to the door when he heard her call his name, and when he turned, he was surprised to find her smiling at him even though her eyes still shone with tears. “Vegeta,” she repeated softly, “stay… if only so we can get that wet spot out of your pants?” She asked with a dark blush. “It would be unseemly for you to be seen leaving here in your current state.”

                Looking down, Vegeta grinned at the white stain around his zipper and had the decency to blush as well. Yeah, Haruka would have had a field day of screaming at both him and Serenity if she’d seen that, but still… “I can cover up with something if you’d rather that I—“

                “I can only think of so many more excuses to tell you to stay, Vegeta, so just stay, alright?” Serenity sighed. “And… I’m sorry. I’m not upset with you, ok? Ok, a little upset, but that’s only because semen is a bitch to get out of silk, but you probably didn’t know that so—“

                She was cut off with a kiss and couldn’t help but lean into it, sighing with pleasure when his tongue grazed her for only a brief moment, but she was surprised when he retreated and smirked down at her. “If you’re worried about your gowns getting soiled in the future, Sere, I could just come inside of you.”

                “Don’t you get cheeky with me, mister!” Serenity snorted, giving his arm a little slap even though she was just as amused by his statement as he was. “What you’re going to do is get me some club soda from the liquor cabinet and a washcloth soaked in cold water. I’m definitely not going to call a maid in to get my dress clean, nor am I going to leave it for her to find!”

                “Heh… yes, my queen.”

#####################################

                                Nappa slowly stripped off his armor and eyed the pool warily, fairly sure that Ami would save him if he dove, but there was still a shred of doubt that she would see right through his plan and let him drown. “Now or never, damn it. She’ll pull me out… yeah, of course she’ll pull me out! I hope...” He then took a massive, Saiyan-sized breath before jumping in and—as he always did—sinking like a stone, straight to the bottom. He managed a smirk as he sat on the bottom of the pool a few feet from her, and wiggled his fingers in greeting when she just gaped at him.

                Ami picked her jaw off the concrete floor and just stared at Nappa as she closed her laminated book and cut off her waterproof flashlight. But while she was puzzling over just what in the hell he thought he was doing, the Senshi of wisdom saw Nappa’s eyes droop shut for a couple of moments before snapping open again as he stood and tried to kick for the surface. _You have got to be fucking kidding me, right?_ She thought. _Did he seriously jump in here without some sort of backup plan to get out? Ugh… sexy he is… but bright he certainly isn’t._

                Ami swam forward and slapped him in the face when his eyes closed again, and his mouth hung open as his knees gave out and he fell. “Goddamnit, Nappa!” She yelled at him, yanking her henshin broach from her subspace.

                She transformed swiftly before draping one of his arms over her shoulders, and swam up to roll him onto the side of the pool with a grunt. “Gods, you weigh a ton!” She snorted as she climbed out to check him.

He had a pulse, but he definitely wasn’t breathing. “You so owe me for this, big man,” she sputtered, tipping his head back and plugging his nose before breathing into him. Ami gave him another breath and watched his chest rise slowly as she filled him with her air, but before she could take another lungful for herself, she was effectively snagged by two strong arms and pinned to his chest as his tongue slipped into her mouth and stroked over hers.

Sailor Mercury broke away with a scream, but her mouth was the only thing she could separate from him as he held her firmly and cracked his eyes open to smile up at her. “Mmm… mine!” He said happily, nuzzling his face into her throat. “Mine, mine, mine! **_All mine_**! Now!” He said quickly, easily leaping to his feet despite his struggling cargo, “where to, Blue? Your bed or mine?” Nappa only laughed harder when she threw every Saiyan curse she knew right in his face. “Oh, Blue. All this screaming? Really? And we haven’t even _started_ yet,” he added with a wink and a purr.

After much struggling, Ami finally went limp and glared up at him defiantly. “Fine, then. My room,” she growled.

“Point the way, Blue,” Nappa answered happily. She did, and he stopped dead when he saw that the path was still underwater.

“You really ought to learn how to swim,” Ami replied to his frown with a smug smile.

“Can’t,” he sighed, “my bones are too dense. I sink every time I get in the water. So…” He turned right back around, located a window, and shot into the air. “…my room it is, woman.” Nappa felt her shiver and flared his ki to dry them both before using it to warm her. “Sorry,” he grunted, glad that she wasn’t screaming at him anymore and that she wasn’t crying. Gods knew, if she started crying and seemed genuinely afraid, he wouldn’t take her… even though he had won the chase and his beast was climbing the walls. “Is that better?”

“Yeah,” she sighed dejectedly, folding her arms over her chest with a huff as they landed on a palace balcony.

Nappa tried to give her a reassuring smile as he closed his balcony door behind him and ki shielded it. “You know I can’t and won’t hurt you, Blue.” He carefully placed her on his bed and rested his forehead against hers, just drawing in her scent for a long moment. “You do know that, right?”

Ami swallowed and tried not to breathe too deeply, his smell was doing something funny to her head, making it difficult to think, and his tail was only making it worse as it swished back and forth in the air, putting out his pheromones. “I know,” she whispered nervously. “It’s just that… I’m afraid of commitment. I hate to actually admit it, but it’s true,” she sighed. “I don’t suppose I could get a raincheck?”

Nappa chuckled and shook his head as he nipped lightly at her throat, trailing his lips to her ear and back down to her collarbone. “You **_ran_** , woman. I gave chase… and I caught you. You know the rules of Saiyan courtship.” At that, he crawled onto the bed with her and pulled her tightly to his chest as he started to purr happily. “Detransform, Blue.”

Ami’s hands trembled a little as she did as she was told, and she gazed up at him with blue eyes full of fear and anticipation. Then she felt his tail brushing against the bottom of her two-piece and jumped, trying to scramble away from him, and her trembling escalated to flat-out shaking when he wouldn’t let her go. “Please, Nappa,” she whimpered, “I’m really not ready for this.”

With a frustrated sigh, Nappa sagged and flopped onto his back to stare at the ceiling and get his damned Saiyan hormones under control. “You’re killing me, Blue,” he groaned into his hands as he covered his face. If he’d had hair, he would have been ripping it out in clumps.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, trying to still her unsteady hands. “I’m… I just don’t think I can. I… I need more time. I know I told you a few days and I thought I’d be ready by now, but… I’m just not, Nappa. _Mah’ni_.” After a full minute, she slowly looked at him and sighed. He was the picture of pure misery. “You can hold me if it’ll help,” she suggested shyly. “I don’t mind that.” As soon as the words were uttered, Nappa rolled her on top of him and held her tightly, his purr starting up once more as he drew the covers up around them.

He tugged at the string of her bikini top and looked up at her questioningly, waiting for her slow, timid nod before drawing it open and sliding the cloth out from under her. “Bad idea,” he groaned the moment he felt her bare breasts pressing against him. “Gods, woman… now I just want to lick every inch of you.”

Turning bright red, Ami hid her face in his chest and shook her head at the idea. His statement about a ‘bad idea’ was echoed in her own mind as she began to draw in his scent once more and it sent a rush of desire right through her. Dear Mercury, this wasn’t **_fair_**! She wanted him inside of her so badly that it hurt, but if they did this, they would be officially married! Why, why, WHY couldn’t they just make love like normal couples and set a wedding date for a couple years in the future!?

“Heh, red and blue look good on you,” he chuckled. Nappa blinked at a wave of déjà vu, and apparently she’d felt it too as she looked up at him quizzically. “I felt like I’ve said that before,” he mumbled. “Didn’t that happen the other day, too?”

“Yeah,” Ami confirmed. “I already said something about it to Serenity, but she didn’t have any answers that she could give me.” She figured he was over the déjà vu faster than she was when he slid her up his massive frame and his mouth ghosted over hers once more. Light-headed from his scent, she couldn’t help but return it, pressing her lips firmly against his and moving them slowly.

Nappa jerked slightly when he felt her lips part and her tongue stroked over the crease of his mouth. “Heh… still not quite used to that little whore’s trick,” he chuckled.

They were both immediately hit with another blast of déjà vu, and Ami’s eyes narrowed as she slowly pulled away. “We’ve done this before,” she said slowly. “We had to have done this before, Nappa. I know you… but the only way for that to be possible…” Her eyes went a little wide and shook her head. “The last time this sort of thing happened, where I knew things and forgot them… we had all died, and Serenity or Pluto had brought us all back.”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying that this _has_ happened before, Nappa,” she replied seriously.

The general shrugged a little as he looked up at her, his fingers running up and down her sides, brushing over the sides of her breasts. “Why worry about it if there’s nothing we can do about it, Blue?”

“Because it means that we died… or something.” Sure, he made sense, and the way he was growing a little bolder with his hands was making it hard to think, but she still had the urge to call someone—anyone—and see if the other girls were also experiencing the same problem. Her current train of thought went out the window when she was suddenly rolled and pinned beneath him, and she gazed up at him fearfully.

“Let me help you relax, Ami,” Nappa breathed into her ear, ignoring yet another feeling that he’d said those words to her before. He ignored her squeak as he looped his tail through the bottom of her two-piece and pulled it down, then chuckled as he brushed the fur over her curls. “I dried us both with my ki, but it seems that I missed a wet spot, Blue.”

“Nappa, no… please don’t—you don’t have to—“

“Shh, woman. Just relax,” he purred gently as he moved his tail into her folds and began to slide it over her nub in a slow and delicious rhythm. They moaned together when she jerked his head down to hers and began to kiss him once more, her tongue seeking entry as his hands kneaded and caressed her breasts, his callouses making her shiver with delight like they had the last time he’d visited her in her room. She was melting then, kissing him thoroughly as she felt herself spiraling upwards, but she had to break it and pant for air as she neared the precipice. “Gods… Nappa, please—“ Then she moaned as he pressed against it harder, focusing his direct attention upon her nub, and she trembled as she felt herself suddenly peaking.

“That’s it, Blue,” Nappa rumbled softly, completely rapt at the sight of her pleasure. “Come for me.” No sooner had he said the words, Ami was clutching at him as she cried out his name and arched into him, her vision going white as she was swamped with indescribable pleasure. “ _D’ha_ ,” he whispered against her shoulder, “ _au m’yo_.”

She cried out again as he clamped down on her shoulder just hard enough to bruise, his strong purr dominating the air, but when his canines raked over it once, then twice, and she sensed him readying himself to sink them deep, she stopped him. “ _Hi’nah_ … wait, Nappa, please…”

“ _Tapa’or heu, Zua_ , _buuuuh’tiiir_ ,” Nappa whined as he slumped on top of her in a four hundred pound heap of misery. “ _T’uh au_!”

“I’m not asking you to stop,” she whispered as she reassuringly stroked his head with her hands, noting with a tiny smile that he had shifted his weight instinctively to keep from crushing her. “Look… Nappa, I want you. But I’m not an impulsive person. Maybe I’m just overthinking everything; maybe I just need to say ‘fuck it’ like Rei did and do what feels right without worrying about anything else. But I can’t help but worry and feel apprehensive about getting married. I mean… I’m a goddess. I have responsibilities that I have to take care of, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for children, either.”

“ _Zua_ , I would never, ever, _ever_ ask you to have children if you didn’t want them,” Nappa rumbled.

“But you do,” she guessed, reading him like an open book. His nod confirmed what she already knew and Ami managed a little smile. “I do want kids one day, but not right away.”

“Ami, I can wait for brats. I just want _you_. I promise to be a good mate to you; I won’t get in the way of your work—hell, I’ll be your little errand boy if that’s what will make you happy. Gods damn it, woman, I’m a Saiyan general—the most feared general in generations—and you’ve got me on my knees like some teenage virgin, eager and willing to do anything to please you. And all I want in exchange is to call you mine. I love you,” he finished softly, his cheeks burning red at such a tender, rare confession from a Saiyan alpha male.

“And I love you,” she replied, her cheeks matching his. “Now let me wash the chlorine from the pool off. And then…” Ami couldn’t finish the sentence, but her eyes were full of silent promises, and Nappa immediately scooped her into his arms and carried her into the spacious bathroom, setting her on her feet in the tub before cutting on the hot water.

Ami stripped the remainder of her swimsuit, feeling shy even though he’d seen all of her before, but when she sunk down into the filling tub and he only stood there watching her, she couldn’t help but smile understandingly. “You won’t join me?”

Never had any man stripped naked that quickly in the history of the universe. Not even Raditz.

                Laughing silently to herself over his eagerness, Ami drew the vial that Mina had gifted her with and studied it, broken from her thoughts when she felt a mouth and a mustache tickle her neck. “Drink it,” he breathed in her ear. “I can’t wait to see how hard you’ll come when then pain of your innocence is felt only as pleasure, _Zua m’yo_.”

                “Only a few drops,” Ami replied, feeling shy as she watched him devour her with his eyes. “Mina said that’s all I’ll need, so I’ll save the remainder for Hotaru.” She unstoppered the vial then and tipped a little less than half the contents into her mouth before replacing the cork and tucking it away in her subspace for safe-keeping, and she wasn’t surprised in the least when Nappa immediately pounced with a hungry look in his eyes. “Wait, Nappa… just wait,” Ami urged him nervously. “Just… can’t we just…?”

                “Damn it, of course, Blue,” he sighed contritely. “I’m sorry, I’m a horny, lecherous old man, and I keep forgetting that you hadn’t done much of anything with a man before me. We’ll go slow.”

                Grateful for his patience, Ami calmed and relaxed in his arms, resting against his chest as the tub filled, and when he cut it off with his tail, an idea occurred to her and she grinned mischievously into his chest as she instructed the water to help her have a little fun with her soon-to-be mate.

                “WHOA! GODS, BLUE! WHAT THE—“

                “I thought you’d like a little relief,” Ami giggled as she sensed the water doing as she’d bid, suckling gently on the head of his half-mast cock. “And I also thought that I’d reward you for your patience.”

                “I won’t turn you down, Blue, but… I was hoping that tonight would be just us, you know?” Nappa asked awkwardly. “The water shit’s fun and kinky, but it’s our first time. And I meant it when I said that you’re far better than the tub.”

                “Oh,” she said shortly, blushing brightly in embarrassment. “Nappa, if you thought that I was implying in any way that you weren’t enough to satisfy me, you have my most sincere apology! I just… I only thought…”

                “Fuuuck, I always fuck things up with my big mouth,” the general sighed. “Blue, I didn’t take it that way. And frankly, I’m not jealous of the water; I love watching you get off and I don’t care how it happens, so long as there isn’t another man involved.” Knowing how to make things right, Nappa gave her a winning smile and moved her to the sloped end of the tub where one could simply lie back and relax comfortably on some plush, waterproof padding. “I shouldn’t have even complained,” he purred in her ear. “I’m the luckiest fucking warrior in the universe to have such perfection willing to bed me, an ugly, old, bald general. _Atti_ , you can have whatever you want tonight, just name it and it’s yours.”

                “You’re _not_ ugly, Nappa,” Ami snorted. “And I’m older than you. And frankly… I don’t mind that you’re bald. It makes you even more handsome, in fact. You know what my favorite thing about you is? Physically?” She added.

                “My massive cock?” He guessed with a waggle of his eyebrows.

                “No!” Ami squeaked out, her cheeks the color of a sunset. “Frankly, that thing scares the hell out of me! I was going to say that you’re _so tall_! …and, you have a really nice butt,” she added shyly. “Really, really nice.”

                “I used to model underwear for extra credits when I was a teenager,” he confessed with a little purr. “They never used my headshots, though, just the shoulders down.”

                Sensing more than just a touch of pride in his statement, Ami eyed the spandex on the tile knowingly. “Explains your choice of underarmor.”

                “Yup. Raditz modelled them, too,” Nappa informed her with a chuckle. “Not Turles, though, he just wore the briefs because his brother did and because he didn’t want to be compared to his father for choosing pants,” he added as he began to wet and soap her hair, his hands infinitely gentle as they massaged her scalp, his cock hardening beneath the water just from watching her eyes slip shut and a look of bliss morphing her expression into one of serene beauty.

                He continued like that for a while, attentively washing her, his purr growing in volume at the way she was relaxing into his every little touch and murmuring in approval whenever his hands were less than platonic in certain areas, but finally his beast could barely take any more and he nipped at her freshly rinsed shoulder. “ _M’eh t’uh au, Zua_.”

                One sapphire blue eye cracked open and a sheepish smile drew her lips up, and Ami blushed at the sight of how hard and ready for her he was after just a little touching. “But I haven’t washed you yet, _k’sha m’yo_ ,” she whispered sweetly, her confidence getting a major boost by the way he just stared at her in surprise. Apparently the thought of her seducing him was something he’d never really considered. “Nappa…? I’m going to let you have me, but… can we do it my way?”

                “Will I survive it?” The general choked out. That glint in her eyes held an awful lot of promise, and while he was sure he would enjoy every moment of whatever she was planning, he was fairly sure he was going to die of a heart attack in the process.

                “Probably,” she giggled, too amused by the look on his face to be embarrassed. “Come here and lay back. Let me wash you.”

                “Do I smell?” He mused aloud as he complied and took her place on the cushioned backrest, relaxing as the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen straddled his waist. Well, most of him was relaxed, anyway; the throbbing organ between his thighs was tense as hell and there was only one thing that was going to relieve the ache.

                “Yes, you smell like chlorine,” Ami quipped as she began to soap him up, purposely letting her core press against his arousal as she moved in his lap to properly wash him, grinning briefly whenever he’d let out a little groan of desire. “So, you said that I was better than the tub.”

                “ _So_ much better, Blue,” Nappa rasped out as he fought every instinct to just grip her hips and slam up and inside of her.

                “What if you had me and the tub at the same time?” Ami giggled when his eyes snapped open and he just stared at her, and she managed a little shrug, her remaining shyness fleeing at the sight of his shock. “Well… it would certainly make our first time special, wouldn’t it?”

                “I’m game. And… I thought about it, and letting the water fuck you beforehand might be a good idea. It might feel amazing tonight because of that potion, but you’re going to feel the after effects in the morning if I’m not careful about preparing you.”

                “Well… then let’s get started, shall we?”

                ###############################################

                                She slowly came to in a room she didn’t recognize and shoved down the immediate panic that came with waking in a strange place, aching from head to toe, and obviously still healing from numerous injuries. After rising from the bed carefully and sizing up the room she was in, Setsuna decided that she was in a small cottage on Earth, somewhere not too far from Crystal Tokyo—if the landscape through the window was any indicator. “I’m alive,” she whispered after a few moments.

                Her own hoarse voice made her realize the reality of her own existence and she immediately began to catalogue her injuries. Broken legs, broken arms, broken wrists. Abrasions and lacerations galore… and all of them somehow nearly healed. “I must have been out for _weeks_ ,” she breathed in wonder.

                That only raised another question: **_who_** had saved her? Her stomach protested loudly before she could really think about it and she looked again, this time focusing on the small kitchen on the other side of the room. “I can make that,” she told herself quietly as she shakily stood and tested out her legs.

                Once she was sure that they were sound and there was only a slight ache to them and nothing serious, she used the wall for support and balance as she hobbled to the fridge, wrapped only in a sheet. Her legs gave out then and she winced as she felt one of the healing bones nearly give, but she managed to scoot slowly to the front of the icebox and swing it open… only to find it empty. “Damn it,” she sighed, “I’m hungry.”

                As if in answer to her prayers, the door swung open and a very startled—and _handsome_ —Saiyan warrior rushed in, dumping the packages in his arms on the floor before rushing to her side and scooping her into his arms. “Are you injured?” He grunted, his dark eyes slowly looking her over for signs of blood.

                “No,” Setsuna replied softy, surprised at how weak she felt just from that careful walk to the fridge. “Hungry, though.” She blushed a little when she realized that her sheet was on the floor, but her embarrassment was short-lived when the man carrying her tugged his cloak around her to cover her. “Thanks.”

                “Welcome,” he grunted quietly as he set her back down on the bed and unfastened his cape fully to properly drape it over her before gently brushing her hair out of her eyes. He let out what sounded like a happy sigh when their gazes met and she visibly jumped at what could only be her reaction to the same pull he’d felt before he’d even found her. “Felt your ki several times during… whatever that was,” he explained. “Damn near drove me mad trying to find you… but you were gone before I could track you down. Then I woke up on Earth one morning, confused as hell. Thought I was going insane or something… but I felt you again, and I could tell by your energy signature that you were dying. So I flew out as fast as I could and found you and brought you here.”

                Setsuna watched him lick his lips as he looked her over carefully, and she swallowed when their eyes met again and she felt that jerk in her stomach for a second time. “Shit,” she whispered.

                Her rescuer chuckled and nodded; he’d expected such a reaction and wasn’t in the least surprised by it. “No worries, _r’sha_. I’m older, yes… so I don’t have as much self-restraint as the younger warriors. But I would never claim you while you’re injured. So relax.” He bent over to kiss her forehead as he continued to run his fingers through her hair, and didn’t bother to fight the soft purr coming from his chest. “Your name, _r’sha_?”

                “Setsuna,” she replied a little nervously. “Princess of Pluto and the goddess of time and space.”

                So… this was the missing princess his son and daughter-in-law had mentioned! “Paragus. Saiyan Elite and second general.” He felt her shiver and checked her over in concern. “Hurting?”

                “Just a little,” she admitted. “You’re Broly’s father,” she realized suddenly, sitting up in surprise. “Usa! How’s—“ Setsuna was cut off  when he took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back down into the bed linens.

                “Your niece is just fine, woman. Relax before you hurt yourself again, alright? It only took me three weeks to get you healed up this much, even with the med tank salve and various IV fluids.” Paragus silently cursed himself for a moment before speaking again. “I shouldn’t have left. I knew you’d be waking soon, but we needed food. I’d been subsisting on what I could hunt, but I knew that you’d need more than just meat.”

                “I saw that the fridge was empty,” she replied with a tiny smile. “How did you know I’d wake up, though?”

                “You started talking in your sleep a week ago,” he answered as he left the bed to pick up the groceries and started to put them away. “Then two nights ago, I woke up to you cuddling me in your sleep,” he added, winking at her when she blushed. “Don’t be embarrassed, _r’sha_ , you’re my mate. You’re allowed to snuggle me and put your hands _wherever_ you want.” He gave a loud, genuine laugh when her dark skin flushed even brighter, the hue nearly matching her wide, deep red eyes.  “Don’t worry, you didn’t get too touchy-feely,” he assured her with an easy grin, “but don’t let me stop you if you feel the urge to do so.”

                “You… you slept with me?” She asked nervously, clutching his cloak around her a little tighter.

                “You took a fever almost immediately, _r’sha_ , and you were shaking so hard from the cold that I was worried about your bones mending properly. I used my body heat and my ki to keep you warm,” he answered seriously, recalling how afraid he’d been for her life during that first week. “You were very close to death when I first found you. I didn’t think you were going to make it… I’ll admit that I considered a mercy killing for the first two days. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” he added softly.

                “Well, thank you for that, Paragus. When I unleashed my powers, I was pretty sure I was going to die, so this is like waking up in a dream come true of sorts. I didn’t want to die, but I was willing to do so for my queen. How are they? Does anyone remember anything?”

                Paragus nodded as he began to prepare something light for the both of them to eat. “Prince Vegeta remembers everything, according to my son. Broly did as well; he woke up the same as myself, thinking that he’d lost his mind and pining for his mate. Vegeta set him straight though and convinced him that he wasn’t going crazy; he explained everything and what had happened. Broly came out here when I sent him a message in Ki and relayed the story to me as well. He also brought medical supplies for the first two weeks. Secretly, at that. How he kept it from his mate is beyond me, but everyone is rightfully skittish about barging in on us.”

                “You mean… _no one_ knows I’m here, then?” She asked a little nervously.

                “Just a few of the Saiyan Elite, and the goddesses they’re mated to.” Paragus sighed at the sight of her fear and caressed her face gently. “I lost my first mate in a similar fashion, so my beast was in total control for most of the last three weeks,” he explained. “Anyone showing up would have been at risk, especially anyone trying to take you away. I would have killed them.”

                “Point taken,” she whispered. “And I did say thank you… if you’ve already forgotten.” Setsuna gulped a little as he came back over and set a tray down on the side of the bed, his hard, black eyes never leaving her face. As he leaned over her, the princess of Pluto could tell that he was trying hard not to lose control, that he was fighting the very real urge to claim her, if the way his tail was lashing behind him was any indicator.

                “I won’t,” he sighed as he bent lower, his lips close enough to hers for him to feel her breath on his own. “Don’t be afraid of me, _r’sha_ … I swear not to take your innocence until you’re healed.” Paragus drew in a deep, shuddering breath before speaking again, his control hanging by a mere thread. “But… I confess that I’ve been fighting like hell not to so much as kiss you, _r’sha_ … may I?”

                “I’ve… I’ve never…”

                Paragus smirked at the sight of her blush spreading below his cloak and out of his line of sight as she continued to stammer and fiddle with the edge of the crimson cloth. “That wasn’t what I asked you, Setsuna.”

                “If… I guess if that’s… you know. What you want—“ She gasped as he ducked in to press his lips to hers with a possessive growl, his chest rumbling louder at the contact and his hands fisting in the sheets on either side of her head as he tried like hell to keep from exploring her as well. Despite her initial stiff reaction, Setsuna found herself melting into the kiss as he began to slowly, tentatively move his mouth over hers, his scent and the pull between them making her feel soft and compliant.

                Paragus kept it together and managed to keep the kiss light and sweet, but when he felt her lips part and her tongue shyly flicked over his bottom lip, he groaned and his control slipped as he opened his mouth to give her the access she sought. The kiss instantly went from gentle to hot and raw as his hands fisted in her hair and he began to devour her with his lips and tongue, moaning his pleasure into her mouth.

                So overwhelmed by the foreign sensation of being aroused, Setsuna could only return it greedily, her fingers clutching at his armor. She heard a whimper as he slid onto the bed and laid down on top of her, and only after a moment did she realize that that needy, desperate noise had come from her own throat.

                It was only when she met the subtle rocking of his hips and winced from the pain in her pelvis did he suddenly tear his mouth from hers, and Paragus found himself groaning at the sight of her. She was a vision; her lips swollen from the brutality of his own, her cheeks and throat flushed with heat, and those gorgeous dark garnet eyes of hers glazed and smoky with desire. “Sorry,” he whispered, lightly brushing his mouth over hers one last time. “It’s been years since… since I’ve felt that kind of need for someone. I thought I was ready for it, but I was wrong.”

                Setsuna could only nod, embarrassed and surprised by her own reaction to him. She’d never even kissed a man before; she was the very model of self-discipline among the Senshi, and this one man had managed to destroy every intention she’d had of keeping herself pure and returning to the Gates of Time for eternity. As she should. As she—“Wait a damned minute. How in the hell did you know I was a virgin?” The way his eyebrows hit his hairline made her sigh and roll her eyes. “You said you wouldn’t… you know. Take my innocence,” she mumbled with a blush.

                “Oh. That. Well…” Paragus scratched his head with a hint of shame and looked away. “You were out for three weeks, _r’sha_.” Her blank stare made him sigh and twiddle his thumbs in mortification. “I had to take care of your needs, _r’sha_. **_All_** of them.”

                All of her needs…? Ok, fine. She would have relieved herself and that was a little embarrassing, but it was a fact of life and she was more than grateful that she’d woken without so much as a single bedsore. But he was implying that—“Oh fuck me stupid!” She snapped as she sat up abruptly and opened her subspace, shoving away the hand that tried to force her to lie down once more. “I’m mortal,” she sighed as she located her Senshi crystal. “Dear Chronos… please let this be temporary,” she whispered when she waved the little transformation wand and nothing happened. “How _exactly_ did you find me?” She inquired.  “What was I wearing? And did you find my Time Staff? The Garnet Orb? This Senshi crystal?” She asked, waving the wand once more.

                “Slow down, _r’sha_. Let’s eat something first, and then I’ll answer all the questions you want.” Paragus handed her a bowl of soup and a chunk of bread before righting the cloak that was beginning to slip over her breasts. “Eat slowly,” he ordered. “I did what I could for you in terms of nutrition, but you’ve lost quite a bit of weight.”

                “Hai,” she whispered, forgoing the spoon to simply drink some broth straight from the bowl. “I can tell that I don’t weigh as much. Now… what was I wearing when you found me? It’s very important.”

                “You were wearing a gown of sorts, much like your sisters wear when they detransform into their goddess aspects.”

                Setsuna sighed and felt tears prick her eyes. “This isn’t my goddess aspect, Paragus. I’m mortal in this form. Unlike them, only my own powers can kill me when I’m a Senshi. _That_ is my goddess form. I don’t age, I don’t die, and… I certainly don’t bleed once a month as you implied a minute ago. Thank you,” she added when he turned bright red, “I know that must have been uncomfortable for you.”

                “Not as uncomfortable as your fertile time a week beforehand,” he chuckled. “You had me climbing the fucking walls, woman. I found myself taking more cold showers in that one week than I have in my entire life. Teenage years included,” he added with a wink of his blind eye.

                “So I _am_ fully mortal in this form,” she breathed sadly. “Even detransformed, I’ve _never_ been fertile…”

                “This bothers you,” Paragus said flatly; it wasn’t a question.

                “No… the fact itself doesn’t bother me. The _why_ is what bothers me, Paragus. Even when I looked into this particular future, I saw only my own demise. I wasn’t supposed to live… so why am I alive, and why am I mortal?”

                The older Saiyan shrugged a little as he finished his own soup. “Maybe the gods saw fit to let you live, Suna. Who knows?”

                “I’m one of them, Paragus. The goddess of time— _my father_ ,” she gasped, looking up as if she’d find him right there, grinning down at her mischievously. “Dear gods… it was my father… it had to be. Only he could have possibly altered my vision of the future so that I wouldn’t have foreseen this…” Setsuna felt a smile tugging at her lips despite it all. “That sly smartass… I’d say that I’d get him back for this, but I have to admit that I’m very grateful to have survived the blast back in time.”

                “So the god of time made you mortal?” Paragus asked curiously.

                Setsuna snorted and shook her head. “No, the blast itself did that and I would have died without your assistance. But my biggest question was why I hadn’t seen all of this coming. Now that I have one answer, I can be content to wait for the second. The rest will come later, I’m sure. Or at least it will when I return to the Gates and resume my duties. **_If_** I resume my duties,” she amended after a moment. “If I can’t revert to my goddess form, I won’t be able to open the hole in space-time to even get there,” she sighed. “What?” She asked, noticing his deep frown.

                “I realized that you’re going to start another heat in about a week,” he grumbled. “Now that you’re awake, I’ll have to go away during those days. I’ll wind up bedding you before you’re fully healed if I don’t. Don’t worry about me,” he added when he noted her concerned expression. “I won’t harm you, and we’re not in any danger of me going through a burning. So long as I run the risk of hurting you on accident, I won’t take you; my inner beast has already made that clear. More soup?” He asked when he noticed her bowl was empty.

                “No, thank you,” she replied softly. “I’m actually pretty tired, believe it or not. You’d think three weeks of sleep would be enough, right?”

                “You’re still healing, Suna.” Paragus took her bowl and his own and dumped them in the sink before returning to the bed and sitting on the edge to remove his boots, armor, and tunic. But when he stood and began to remove his pants, he stopped at the scent of her fear. “What?” He asked in confusion. “I’ve shared your bed for three weeks _, r’sha_. And I’m fairly tired, too.”

                “But—you—I— _you’re naked_!” She finally choked out in shock.

                “So are you,” he snorted, shrugging off the last of his clothing. “You don’t hear me complaining, do you?” Paragus grinned when she merely sputtered and shrank away from him when he slid in under the cloak that was covering her. “Here, my mate. This might help,” he offered, sitting up to drag a thick comforter over the both of them. “Better?”

                Setsuna stopped scooting away when he simply laid down and closed his eyes, but she shrieked a little and jumped when she felt something soft wrap around her thigh and drag her back over to him. “ **What in the name of Hades**!?”

                “My tail,” Paragus grunted with a hint of amusement. “Sorry, my beast has control over that damned thing most of the time. He does what he wants with it… yet again, though, I’m _not_ complaining,” he chuckled, his chest vibrating in a gentle purr meant only for her as he tucked her more securely to his chest, relishing the sensation of her bare skin sliding against his own.

                Setsuna trembled for a moment as his hands slid down her sides, but her fear faded when they only went around her back to hold her tightly while his face buried in her hair. “Paragus?” She asked nervously.

                “Mmm?”

                “What does _r’sha_ mean?”

                “Beloved,” he sighed contentedly, drawing in more of her calming, delightful scent with every breath. “It means that I care for you more deeply than I can express in words. Now close those gorgeous eyes and sleep… before I decide that you want to stay awake for more _entertaining_ reasons.”

                Setsuna didn’t need a second order and immediately closed her eyes, barely able to admit to herself that the smell coming from him was lulling her into a deep state of calm. She found herself deep asleep in no time, but it wasn’t restful in the least.


End file.
